11.04.99.R0.15 Course Requirements for the Master’s Degree
Effective September 1, 1996
Revised June 2003; December 2003
Revised January 26, 2004
Revised February 20, 2004
Revised June 7, 2005
Supplements System Policy 11.04

1. A minimum of thirty semester hours beyond the bachelor's degree is required for the master's degree. A minimum of two-thirds of the hours required in a program must be earned from Texas A&M University-Commerce. University degree requirements are listed under the master's degree section of the Graduate Catalog.

2. Graduate students enrolled in cross-listed courses that are offered for both undergraduate and graduate credit are expected to complete requirements beyond those expected of undergraduate students. A maximum of three cross-listed courses may be taken for graduate credit under this procedure. (Note: This limitation is exclusive of Procedure 11.04.99.R0.26.)

3. Upon approval of the head of the major department, the head of the department in which the course is offered, the course instructor, and the Dean of Graduate Studies and Research, up to two 300- or 400-level courses may be used to fulfill graduate course degree requirements.

4. No more than twelve hours accumulated while the student is classified as a nondegree student can be applied to a graduate degree.  At the discretion of the department, students may apply up to, but no more than, eighteen hours accumulated while classified as having certification status (i.e., working toward a state or professionally mandated certification) to the master’s degree.

5. Prerequisites.

Admission to The Graduate School does not imply that the applicant has the necessary background to earn a degree in a specific program. In order to major or minor in a subject field, the candidate must meet departmental prerequisites. Background courses cannot be applied toward the graduate major or minor.

6. Major.

All master's programs require a major of at least eighteen semester hours, including hours in a graduate level research component course (595), or thesis (518). Specific programs may require additional semester hours for a major. (Specific program requirements are listed under each departmental section of the Graduate Catalog .)

7. Minor.

Twelve semester hours in a second subject area constitute a minor. Completion of a minor is not a mandatory requirement. Students receiving a minor must satisfy candidacy and comprehensive examination requirements of the minor department.

8. Electives.

Up to eighteen hours in approved additional fields may be used as electives.

9. Thesis (518) or research component course (595) credit.

All degree programs require the satisfactory completion of either the 518 or 595. A thesis student must be registered for the 518 course to receive advice and assistance from a member of the faculty or while utilizing University facilities and services. Credit for no more than six hours of 518 or three hours of 595 is allowed in a degree program and is awarded only upon satisfactory completion of each requirement. Unless approved by the department head or program coordinator, 518 or 595 must be taken in the department of the major field of study.

10. Transfer of Credit.

a. Credit for work taken in other regionally accredited graduate schools is granted in accordance with an evaluation by The Graduate School and upon approval by the student's advisory committee and the Dean of Graduate Studies and Research; however, under no circumstances will a course with a grade lower than "B" be transferred for credit.

b. Transfer course content must be in academic areas taught by A&M-Commerce.

c. Transfer credit is limited to one-third of the hours required for the master's program.

11. Transfer of Credit from Foreign Universities

Texas A&M University-Commerce does not accept graduate transfer credits from foreign universities unless they are earned within a Study Abroad or exchange agreement between A&M-Commerce and a specific foreign university. The standards for accepting transfer credits are the same as the standards applied to domestic universities:

a. The foreign university must be accredited.

b. The student must have earned a grade of B or better in the course.

c. The credits must not have been used for a previous degree.

d. The course cannot be more than six years old at the time of graduation for a master's program and no more than ten years old for a doctoral program.

e. The credits earned must be clearly at the graduate level.

f. Each request for transfer must be evaluated and recommended for course content and what it is equivalent to in the degree program by the degree program Head or Director seeking transfer and submitted for approval to the Dean of Graduate Studies and Research.

g. No more than 12 hours of credit can be transferred at the master's or doctoral level.

h. A student who has already been admitted to a degree program at A&M-Commerce and who wants to take courses at a foreign university as part of a Study Abroad or exchange program to be transferred to A&M-Commerce must receive prior approval from the program head or director.

References: Prior ETSU Policy B-74; revised March 6, 1991 ; revised February 2002; revised June 2003; revised December 2003; revised January 26, 2004; revised February 20, 2004; revised June 7, 2005; former number A11.39

CONTACT FOR INTERPRETATION: Dean of Graduate Studies and Research