Master's Degree Requirements

1. Credit Requirement

A minimum of 30 graduate credits are required for a master's degree; 21 must be in the student's major field unless a higher number is required by the student's program. The grade-point average for the courses counted toward the degree must be 3.0 or above. A minimum of one-half of the total required credits must be on a letter-graded basis. Any portion of the remaining credits may be graded Satisfactory subject to prior approval by the student's department/program. Credits transferred from another institution cannot be used to satisfy the university's requirement for graded credits nor the 600-800 course level requirement. Graduate courses which have been applied toward any baccalaureate or advanced degree may not be used for fulfilling requirements for any other master's degree at the university.

  • Thesis Option: Graduate students who write a thesis cannot count more than ten (10) thesis credits toward the master's degree. The number of Special Problems (Independent Study) credits is limited to six (6), except for M.F.A. students who are allowed 12 credits. Excluding thesis credits, graduate students must earn an additional six (6) credits in the 600-800 course level range.  These credits will be graded IP (In Progress) until the thesis has been accepted by the Graduate School at which time these credits will be converted to SAT (Satisfactory).
  • Non-Thesis Option: Graduate students who do not write a master's thesis must earn a minimum of twelve (12) credits in the 600-800 course level range.

2. Language Requirement

No foreign language is required by the Graduate School; however, some programs do require a language proficiency. Refer to the Graduate School Bulletin and program literature for foreign language requirements and the competency levels.

3. General Examination

Although the Graduate School does not require a general master's examination, some programs do. In programs which do require a final examination, the examination is not optional to individual students; all students must take it. For students choosing the thesis option, a final examination is required, and it may not necessarily be limited to the thesis topic. The result of the examination should be forwarded to the Graduate Student Service Center.

4. Thesis Option

In addition to the requirements which apply to all master's degree candidates, the following requirements apply specifically to graduate students who anticipate submitting a master's thesis. A terminal project does not constitute a thesis and is, therefore, not covered by the following requirements:

  • Committee: Preparation of the master's thesis shall be under the direct supervision of a Thesis Committee. That Committee shall consist of one or more members of the Graduate Faculty recommended by the Graduate Program Director (GPD) and/or Department Head/Chair of the student's major program. A thesis committee has been officially constituted when the Graduate Dean sends formal notification of its formation to all members, to the Graduate Program Director, and to the student. Members of the Thesis Committee must agree to, not only assist in the supervision of the thesis project, but also attend the defense. Selection of the committee is a matter of "academic judgement" which should be made by the GPD and the Department Chair, and approved by the Graduate Dean. Students should be reminded that most faculty are on nine-month contracts and should not necessarily assume that committee members will be available during the summer months.
  • Outline: A master's candidate must prepare a suitable thesis outline to be approved and signed on the cover sheet, by each member of the approved Thesis Committee and the Graduate Program Director or Department Head/Chair. The signed copy of the thesis outline is forwarded to the Graduate Student Service Center for inclusion in the candidate's file, at least four (4) months prior to the date that the thesis defense is scheduled.
  • Master's Thesis: A master's thesis must be typed in a prescribed style (see the Guidelines for Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations) and submitted electronically through the University of Massachusetts Amherst ScholarWorks for M.A., M.S., M.F.A. (Art and Theater) or ScholarWorks for M.F.A. (English only)website. The thesis must be approved and signed by all members of the thesis committee and the Department Head/Chair. One original of the thesis signature page is required to be submitted on acid free paper to the Graduate Student Service Center. Some departments require an additional copy of the thesis for their own files. As a service for students, we have a list of binderies available at the Graduate Student Service Center for interested students.
  • Thesis Credit: See department requirements in the Graduate School Bulletin for the specific number in each program. There is no maximum number of thesis credits allowed; however, a student may use no more than ten (10) thesis credits (18 credits for M.F.A. students) to meet the total number of degree credits required for the degree.  These credits will be graded IP (In Progress) until the thesis has been accepted by the Graduate School at which time these credits will be converted to SAT (Satisfactory).
  • Thesis Defense: The result of the Thesis Defense is forwarded to the Graduate Student Service Center directly following the Examination.

5. Degree Eligibility Form

The Online Degree Eligibility Form must be submitted in SPIRE two weeks prior to the degree deadline to allow for departmental review. The graduate program director must approve the Degree Eligibility Form before it is routed to the Graduate Student Service Center. (See Checklist for Master's Degrees). These deadlines are strictly observed and will not be extended. Degrees cannot and will not be awarded retroactively.