Graduate Studies

General Degree Requirements

 

Number of Credits Required

Master of Science, Master of Arts Degrees

Plan A:
A minimum of 30 credits is required, which includes a four-credit thesis.

Plan B:
A minimum of 32 graduate credits is required, which includes a two-credit project.

In either Plan A or Plan B at least one-half of the credits (exclusive of thesis or starred paper requirements) must be earned at the 600 level. All programs having education as the professional component will include at least 6 credits to be earned in course work, other than research or statistics, which is offered by one of the Departments of Education and is approved by a Graduate Faculty representative of that department.

Specific program requirements are given in Graduate Programs. Requirements vary from a low of 30 to a high of 48 credits. After being admitted to graduate study, the student will, in consultation with a departmental advisor, develop a preliminary plan of study which will meet the specific standards of the department, as well as the general requirements for all Master's degrees.

 

 

Residence and Transfer of Credit

Residence requirement

At least one-half of the semester credits constituting the minimum requirements for the degree or certificate must be completed through registration at Minnesota State University Moorhead in offerings by its faculty.

Courses taken before admission to graduate program

Eight semester credits for a degree, or no more than half of the semester credits for a certificate, may be taken at MSUM in a Graduate Special status before admission to a graduate program. At least 22 semester credits, or one-half of the semester credits required for a certificate, must be taken after program admission.

Transfer from other Minnesota State Universities

Subject to their inclusion in a program previously approved by the departments or programs concerned and the College Dean, courses constituting up to one-half of the minimum semester credits required for the degree may be taken at other Minnesota State Universities. However, in such instances the number of semester credits accepted from other institutions will be reduced correspondingly. The Records Office certifies and monitors degree requirements.

Transfer from Tri-College University

Courses approved for registration through the Tri-College University are transferred at the discretion of individual programs. Please note:  Course number "600" from NDSU is not eligible for graduate credit and will not be accepted in transfer.

Transfer from other accredited institutions

Subject to the approval of the department or program concerned, a maximum of 12 semester credits may be accepted in transfer from other accredited institutions after program admission.

Other requirements

A grade of A or B is required in any courses to be included in the program or certificate program and not taken at this University. No "P" or "S" grades may be transferred.

Individual programs may approve credits with grades of A or B (not pass/fail) in workshops or in special in-service courses.  No more than 1/6 of required graduate degree or certificate credits may be counted from workshop or special in-service courses.

Normally, courses transferred from other institutions must meet the seven year time limit for completion of the degree program.

 

GPA Requirement for Continuation in Good Standing in Graduate Programs

Students are required to maintain a 3.0 grade point average on a 4.0 scale to be continued in a graduate program. Students whose grade point average falls below 3.0 will be placed on probationary status. An official letter will be sent by the Graduate Studies Office to notify such students that they are on probation. The record will be reviewed by the major department or program and by the College dean after the completion of 8-10 additional hours of credit to determine continuing status. In no case will continuation in the program be permitted if the grade point average remains less than 3.0 at the time of the review. Admission to a graduate program does not guarantee that students will successfully complete degrees.

Comprehensive and Oral Examinations and Research

In all graduate programs, a final integrating experience is required which assesses the body of knowledge that has been acquired through the course work and research. Such a final requirement is also a mark of quality in graduate education at the Master's degree level: no degree is granted simply as the record of the accumulation of appropriate courses with adequate grades. The form of the final requirement differs among degree programs, but always includes an oral discourse. In it, the examining committee discusses the thesis or project research, the creative endeavor, or the integrating paper, and assesses the  student's mastery of the several components of the degree course work.

Comprehensive Examination

Candidates in most MS and MA programs and the Specialist in School Psychology must demonstrate competence in the major field in a comprehensive examination. The exam is normally taken at the completion of the course work and prior to undertaking the research component of the degree program. The major department or program will determine the nature of the examination which must be satisfactorily completed and reported to the Records Office before the oral examination on the research component can be scheduled. A student who fails the comprehensive examination may appeal through the appropriate department to repeat it during a subsequent term. A second failure will result in termination of the degree program enrollment.

Oral Examinations

Master of Science, Master of Arts: For either Plan A or Plan B the thesis or project must be defended in a final oral examination.

Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing: Students completing the MFA will present a final oral discourse to their thesis committee on their thesis and critical introduction, as well as give a public reading based upon their creative thesis.

Master of Liberal Arts: Students completing the MLA will present the written results of their research or creative work under MLA 610 rubric, an integrating paper, as the basis for a final oral discourse.

Specialist in School Psychology: Oral exam based on the final portfolio.

Research Components

Thesis Research (Plan A):
Master of Science, Master of Arts Degrees

A part of the program of every Master of Science or Master of Arts degree candidate under Plan A is the demonstration of ability to do individual, independent work of a creative or investigative kind in an area related to the major field through the preparation of a thesis. The thesis will be supported by the work represented in 4 hours of registration in Thesis 699, but not more than 4 hours of 699 may be counted in satisfying the minimum requirements for an advanced degree under Plan A. Credit hour registration in a given term may vary with the nature of the study, according to the department or area, and on the previous agreement between the student and the advisor for expected research effort and adequate supervision.

Project (Plan B):
Master of Science, Master of Arts, Specialist Degrees

Students enrolled in a Master of Science or Master of Arts degree program under Plan B complete a 2-credit project which will integrate the studies included in the individual's program. The project must be approved by the major advisor and department.

The Curriculum and Instruction in Education degree requires a Plan B Field Research Project (4 credits).

The School Psychology Specialist degree also requires a Plan B project (the Specialist Portfolio), but there is no  credit assigned to the project.

The Education Specialist in Educational Administration requires a Plan B project (4 credits).

Research Involving Human Subjects

If research is to involve human subjects, the research plan or project will be reviewed by an approved university procedure to assure the protection and rights of those subjects and the procedure established for obtaining informed consent. No research of this type will be initiated until it has been approved by an examining committee and the Institutional Review Board (IRB). Forms are available in the Graduate Studies Office and online. Allow at least four (4) weeks for IRB approval.