Master of Arts in Arts and Sciences
The Master of Arts and Sciences degree is an interdisciplinary degree designed to 1) accommodate students with needs that are not met by existing programs, 2) recognize that current employment opportunities as well as future ones may not be structured around existing departments or degree programs, 3) provide flexibility and innovation, 4) recognize the needs of people who have been out of school for longer periods of time and have special occupational or vocational situations, and 5) assist students who want to change their field of study from that of their baccalaureate degree.
Individualized programs must be based in departments that currently offer master’s degree programs or graduate courses.
The general regulations governing graduate education at NMU will apply to this program (e.g., transfer credit policies, time limitation requirements, grade point average for graduation, and credit requirements). Students are admitted to the graduate school as a “non-degree”-seeking student until an approved plan of study is on file.
The plan of study must be approved by adviser, the department head representing the major discipline, and the Graduate Education Office before the plan may be initiated. No more than eight semester credit hours, taken before the plan of study has been approved will be accepted in the program.
For department information or additional degree requirements, go to the Graduate Education department page.
| Total Credits Required | 32 |
| Master of Arts and Sciences | 20 |
| Select at least 12 credits of graduate coursework in a primary discipline and 8 credit hours in a secondary academic discipline | |
| Capstone | 4 |
| Must complete a capstone project approved by the adviser | |
| Electives | 8 |
| Up to 8 hours in electives approved by the adviser | |
Program Requirements:
1) The proposed master’s degree must equal at least 32 semester hours excluding any deficiency credits.
2) The student must develop a plan of study with an adviser that has been approved for graduate faculty status from his/her primary department.
3) Secondary disciplines (departments/divisions) are defined as those disciplines in which eight semester hours of course work are proposed at the master’s level.
4) The student must be eligible to take courses in both the primary and secondary disciplines and/or take all prerequisite course work to become eligible.
5) The student must complete a graduate capstone project which may be a thesis, a graduate research project, internship, portfolio or exhibit.
6) The plan of study will be sent to the Office of Graduate Education and all departments represented in the plan of study. Any modifications will be sent to the student and his/her adviser.
7) All programs are subject to approval by the Assistant Provost of Graduate Education and Research.
Other requirements:
- No more than 4 credit hours of directed study.
- No more than 8 credit hours of unspecified content courses.
- Minimum of 18 credit hours of 500 level course work.
- No courses older than 7 years old at the time of graduation
- At least 16 semester credits must be NMU credits
Students transferring to the Master of Arts and Sciences degree program from another NMU graduate program must not have completed more than 8 credit hours from the program in which they were admitted. Also, students must not have any graduate course with a grade lower than a B and otherwise be in good standing.
Bulletin Year:
2017 - 2018 Graduate Bulletin
| View the current NMU Catalog.