Master of Science (Archived 2016-17 Graduate Catalog)

The Master of Science (M.S.) degree offers students an opportunity for professional experience in certain subject matter fields in the sciences. Fields of major concentration for the Master of Science degree are: Applied Geospatial Science, Applied Statistics, Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Communication Disorders, Computer Science, Geology (Plan I only), and Physics. Specific admission procedures and degree requirements are outlined in the major field descriptions. To locate major field descriptions, consult Graduate Programs Offered section in this Catalog.

Degree Requirements
Two plans are offered for this degree.

Plan I

Candidates under Plan I must present an approved major of not less than 16 semester hours of credit and a formal thesis in a 30-hour minimum 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 a student in Plan I of the master’s degree program.

Plan II

Candidates under Plan II must complete a minimum of 30 semester hours of credit, including two hours in a graduate research seminar, and 20 additional hours in the major field. An eight-hour minor or cognate field outside the department may also be included. An interdepartmental major may be composed of graduate courses in two or more departments.

Candidates must pass a final written comprehensive examination covering studies included in the major not later than four weeks before the awarding of the degree. The examination may be taken when students have achieved a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 and have 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 attempted the comprehensive examination. Upon failing a second examination, the student is dismissed by the Graduate College.