The master’s degree requires the completion of at least 36 hours of graduate course work, including 6 hours of thesis credit. A satisfactory written thesis must be presented and defended. A student may also elect 6–12 hours in a minor area. In addition, students must maintain a minimum GPA of 3.25 while in the program. Any student whose GPA drops below this level will be placed on probation for one semester. If at the end of the probationary semester the student’s GPA has not been raised to a 3.25 or better, the student will be subject to program dismissal.

The MA requires completion of the equivalent of at least the undergraduate sophomore year in a single foreign language, provided the grade on the last course is a C or higher. Other than this requirement, the curriculum for MA and MS students is the same.