Graduate Program

The Master of Science degree is awarded after completion of 30 semester credits of approved work, with a minimum grade of “B” in core courses and a GPA of 3.0 in courses approved for graduate credit. If you write a thesis, you only need 24 semester credits. Research assistants are required to write a thesis. Non-thesis students are required to prepare a scholarly paper. A final comprehensive examination is required in either case. There is no foreign language requirement. The average duration of stay for research assistants is one and a half years.

There is no minimum number of semester credits required for the Doctor of Philosophy degree. Upon substantial completion of a program of study approved by a 5-member faculty committee, a comprehensive examination is required for admission to candidacy. At this time candidates are also expected to submit a research plan for faculty review. All Ph.D. students must pass an oral exam, administrated by a faculty committee, in defense of their dissertation.

Graduate research topics may vary and may be either experimental or analytical. The principal requirement for doctoral research is original scholarly work. Research guidance is available from the student's faculty adviser.

A Ph.D. degree is rewarded after completion of 12 dissertation research credits. The student must maintain a 3.5 or higher GPA, submit a dissertation for review, pass an oral exam in defense of the dissertation and pass a Ph.D. qualifying exam. The student must submit the Comprehensive Examination Request Form by April 1 for the June examination and by October 15 for the January examination.