Requirements for a M.S and Ph.D. The Masters Degree, with thesis, requires 24 semester hours of academic courses and 6 hours of research credits. This degree is usually completed in two to three years as a full time student. Most students seeking this option are supported by a GA, TA or Fellowship. Part-time students may take a non-thesis option. This requires 30 semester hours of academic credits and a final presentation of a paper in front of a faculty committee.

The Ph.D. requires 48 semester hours of academic courses and 24 semester hours of research. A thesis is required. The Ph.D. degree is usually done on a full time basis and requires four to five years. Most students are supported with a GA, TA or Fellowship during this time.. Almost all students in our Program are supported with a GA. This includes payment of full tuition and a stipend ranging from $15,000 to $21,000/year. In order to qualify for Ph.D. study, candidates must take the qualifying exam. The exam, offered in the latter part of May each year for first year students, aims to determine whether the candidate demonstrates the intellectual ability of a Ph.D. and is capable of conceiving, organizing, proposing, and conducting high quality independent research. All first year students who wish to proceed to a Ph.D. should take this exam at the end of their first year.

Full requirements for both programs are available in the Graduate Student Handbook.