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PM 77-37

12/21/77

President Donald R. Gerth

MA/MS SPECIAL MAJOR

Program administered by the Office of the

Dean of Graduate Studies and Research

The MA/MS Special Major provides an opportunity for selected graduate students to engage in individualized courses of study leading to a graduate degree when appropriate academic and professional goals are not accommodated by standard graduate degree programs.  Through this program a student is able to integrate studies from two or more departments or options within the departments, either concentrating equally or choosing one department or option within the department as a primary emphasis (i.e., majority of courses taken in it) with the other(s) as secondary.

A Special Major cannot be used in place of degree requirements of a graduate degree program already offered on campus.

A student who wishes to undertake an MA/MS Special Major should secure from the Dean of Graduate Studies and Research an application for admission to the Special Major Program and submit, with the completed application, a proposed program for the Special Major.

Students presenting such a proposal are expected to provide:  (1) a written statement giving their reasons for desiring the Special Major in terms of academic and professional goals and why these goals cannot be met through completion of a standard on-campus graduate degree program; and (2) a delineation of courses which will, in their opinion, lead to the academic and professional goals stated above.

The student will select and obtain the consent of a full-time faculty member to serve as the chairperson of the Advisory Committee.  The chairperson and the student will then select and obtain the consent of two additional faculty members who represent departments or other academic units included in the proposed programs.

The program of studies developed by the student and a three-member faculty committee will be approved by the coordinator(s) of the on-campus graduate degree program(s) closest in content to the student’s Special Major.  The proposal will then be reviewed by the Dean of Graduate Studies and Research for final approval.

Students wishing to alter their proposal after it has been approved must repeat the same review process:  they need to secure the approval of their advisement committee; the approval of the appropriate graduate coordinator(s); and the Dean of Graduate Studies and Research.  The administration of the program is handled by the Office of Graduate Studies and Research. 

For operative guidelines, see the “Special Major” section of the current catalog.