How many credit hours are required for a masters degree

Bachelor's Degree Programs

Institutional requirements are a minimum of 120 semester hours; the fulfillment of all general education program requirements; the final thirty hours of course work in residence (However, credits from University-approved study abroad programs, and a maximum of 6 credits that are not part of such programs, may be included in the final thirty if approved in advance by the dean of the academic unit from which the student expects to receive the degree); and a cumulative grade point average of 2.00. A minimum of 30 credits must be taken for the major. 15 of these credits must be at the 300 or above level. There may be additional College requirements, which must also be reflected in any proposal for a new or revised curriculum. Students must have a minimum 2.00 cumulative grade point average across all courses used to satisfy the major degree requirements.

According to the Code of Maryland Regulations (COMAR), "The presence of a structured and coherent program of study with clearly delineated program objectives and intended student learning outcomes must be evident." COMAR also specifies that "Required courses in the major may not be excessive and should be consistent with customary expectations for the type of degree proposed." Consequently, the university has adopted the following guidelines:

• It is important not to overload credits during the freshman year; too heavy a load during that year might substantially reduce students' chances for success.
• A curriculum that requires more than 120 total credits will require careful justification.
• All prerequisites should be included in the count of program requirements, including courses offered by other departments. There should be no "hidden" prerequisites.
• Students should have the opportunity to take a reasonable number of free electives; fewer than 12 credits of free electives in a four-year program should be justified (e.g., by reference to similar programs elsewhere, or to accreditation requirements).
• The course load for the freshman year should be reasonable. More than 16 credits in a semester should be justified.
• The program should not include more than two lab or studio courses in a single semester.
• General education courses should be scheduled for appropriate times. Ideally, most General Education requirements should be completed by the end of the student's sophomore year. Some minimal delays may be acceptable if necessitated by the program.

Variations from these guidelines - for example, low numbers of free electives - should be justified by statistics on similar programs at other universities, or by accreditation requirements. If appropriate, the curriculum of the proposed program should reflect the requirements of any accrediting or certifying body. Conformance with accreditation standards should be illustrated by reference to the certifying body's criteria.

Master's Degree Programs

All Master's Degrees: The entire course of study undertaken for any master's degree must constitute a unified, coherent program that is approved by the student's advisor and graduate director and meets Graduate School requirements.

A minimum of thirty semester hours in courses acceptable for credit towards a graduate degree is required (some degree programs require more than 30 credits); in certain cases, six of the 30 semester hours must be thesis research credits . The graduate program must include at least 12 hours of course work at the 600 level or higher; no fewer than 12 hours of coursework credit must be earned in the major subject approved by the graduate program in which the student is enrolled. If the student is inadequately prepared for the required graduate courses, additional courses may be required, which may not be considered as part of the student's graduate program. With the exception of pre-approved Combined Bachelor's/Master's programs, credits to be applied to a student's program for a master's degree cannot have been used to satisfy any other previously earned degrees. A student seeking a master's degree must maintain an average grade average of 3.00 in all courses taken for graduate credit. All requirements for the master's degree must be completed within a five-year period. This time limit applies to transfer work from other institutions to be included in the student's program.

M.A. or M.S. Thesis Option: A minimum of 30 semester hours including six hours of thesis research credit (799) is required for the degrees of Master of Arts and Master of Science. Of the 24 hours required in graduate courses, no fewer than 12 must be earned in the major subject. No fewer than one-half of the total required course credits, or at least 12, must be in courses numbered 600 or above. A thesis must be submitted except for those programs with an approved non-thesis option. An oral examination on the thesis will be held once the advisor approves the thesis, provided the student has also completed all requirements for the degree with a grade point average of 3.0 or better.

M.A. or M.S. Non-Thesis Option: Generally, the non-thesis program requires a minimum of 30 credit hours in courses approved for graduate credit with a minimum grade point average of 3.00 in all course work taken; a minimum of 18 credit hours in courses numbered 600 or above; the submission of one or more scholarly papers; and, in many cases, successful completion of a comprehensive final examination, at least some portion of which must be written. The previous requirement of completion of a comprehensive examination was changed to a program option by action of the Graduate Council on April 30, 1998.

For the degree of Master's of Education, a minimum of 15 hours of the required 30 in courses must be numbered 600-800 with the remainder at least in the 400 series.

Doctoral Degree Programs

Doctoral degrees for Research and Scholarship programs (Ph.D. programs) require registration for a minimum of 12 research credits; achieving admission to Candidacy; and a dissertation or its equivalent. Additional requirements may be set by Colleges or Programs. Doctoral degrees for Professional Practice programs (for example, Doctor of Clinical Audiology), have more detailed requirements. See the Graduate Catalog for more information.

12-Week and Non-Standard Terms

Some programs do not follow the traditional term format, but rather a 12-Week term with fall, winter, spring, and summer terms. The compressed nature of the 12-week terms requires certain procedures for admission, registration, grading, academic deadlines, communication, international student visas, and course scheduling. Programs that utilize the 12-Week term structure must follow the procedures specified in the 12-Week Term Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). Programs that use a non-standard term (that is, they neither use the semester nor the official 12-week term structure) must work through the same individual issues listed in the 12-Week Term MOU with the appropriate administrative offices. At this time, the university only has master's programs that follow 12-week or non-standard term structures.

Relevant Policies

• Maryland Higher Education Commission Code of Maryland Regulations 13B.02.02 Minimum Requirements for In-State Degree Granting Institutions
• Maryland Higher Education Commission Code of Maryland Regulations 13B.02.03 Academic Programs-Degree Granting Institutions
• University of Maryland Policy III.7.00(A) University of Maryland, College Park Degree Requirements

To Propose a New Program

Use the CourseLeaf CIM program administration system.