Appendix - E: Professional Master’s Coursework Only Guidelines

×
Workday Student is live! While policies are unchanged as a result of Workday Student, some of the processes outlined here may differ from how you complete them in Workday. The Graduate College is working on updating the Handbook to exclude processes no longer in place. If you have questions about how to complete a transaction in Workday, please click on our Workday banner on our home page and refer to the appropriate topic to locate training materials.

Return to Table of Contents

Search the Handbook

(Guidelines passed Graduate Council April 16, 2009)

Professional master’s programs are growing in demand nationwide in response, in part, to employers’ demands for students with more academic background in discipline-specific course work. Admissions requirements, credit limits, transfer policies, and time to degree requirements are the same as other master’s programs. Specific exceptions to regular master’s degree requirements are detailed below.

E.1 Proposed General Features of the Professional Master’s Programs (coursework-only)

These apply to new proposals for professional master’s programs. Existing professional master’s programs may be legacied in.

Name of the Program: The name of the degree must be clearly distinguishable from the Master of Science or Master of Arts degree. This means avoiding the word “science” or “arts” in the name of the degree. Exceptions may be appropriate for departments that wish to award a Master of Computer Science or Master of Animal Science degree.

Coursework: Minimum of 30 graduate credit hours of coursework. At least 22 graduate credits must be taken at ISU.  Research credits or creative component credits do not count toward the credit total because this is a coursework only degree.

Note: This is the same credit requirement for a MS or MA degree. The difference is that there are no research credits.

GPA Minimum: Same as for Master of Science or Master of Arts

Program of Study Committee: Directed by the DOGE or their graduate faculty designee. No committee requirement as this is a non-research/non-creative component option. However, individual programs/majors have the option of establishing a POS committee if they desire.

Capstone Experience: Not required

External Oversight: Any programs with accrediting bodies external to ISU would be subject to any requirements that are over and above the ISU minimum.

Note: Students with minors and co-majors, in addition to a professional master’s degree, will have additional requirements and/or signatures. For more information, contact the Graduate College.

➤