Specific Master's Degrees

Master of Arts or Master of Science: Thesis

At least 30 credits of acceptable graduate work must be completed, not less than 22 of which must be earned from ISU. Students are expected to research and write a thesis that demonstrates independent and creative work. A minimum of 3 semester credits is required for thesis research.

In certain programs a nonthesis degree program is offered. (For more information on requirements, contact the individual program or department.) This option requires the satisfactory completion of at least 30 graduate credit hours of acceptable work (not including research credit), not less than 22 credits of which must be earned from Iowa State University, and satisfactory completion of a comprehensive final oral examination. In addition, every nonthesis master’s program must present substantial evidence of individual accomplishment (e.g., a special report, capstone course, integrated field experience, annotated bibliography, or other creative endeavor). A minimum of two semester hours of such independent work (referred to as the creative component) is required on every program of study for a nonthesis master’s degree and is applied toward the credit-hour requirement. This element of creative independent study must be explicitly identified on the program of study. Detailed requirements may vary with fields. Reference should be made to the Courses and Programs section in this catalog.

			Master of Accounting The Department of Accounting offers a 32-credit Master of Accounting graduate degree. The program requires 15 credits of graduate accounting courses, at least 9 credits of non-accounting graduate electives, a communications course, an international course from an approved list, and a creative component. The degree is appropriate for any student wanting to pursue a variety of accounting careers. Additionally, the program is designed to help interested candidates meet the 150-hour education requirement for the CPA certification in Iowa.
			Master of Agriculture The major in professional agriculture is an off-campus, nonthesis program leading to the master of agriculture degree. It is available to students wishing to pursue graduate study in agriculture without taking formal coursework on campus. The program is considered to be a terminal master’s degree. Students are required to take a minimum of two courses in each of three disciplines and complete 24 semester credits of formal coursework. In addition, a minimum of four credits of creative component experience and four credits of workshops are required, resulting in a total of 32 graduate credits of coursework. Courses are offered in agricultural mechanization, agronomy, animal science, horticulture, and economics.
			Master of Architecture The Department of Architecture offers a two-part program leading to the master of architecture, a professional degree. Beyond the bachelor of architecture degree, a minimum of 30 graduate credits is required. Beyond the B.A. or B.S. degrees in architecture or environmental design, a minimum of 60 credits is required. For students with other baccalaureate degrees, a program of more than 100 credits may be tailored to each student’s experience, training, and education. For programs of 60 credits or more, 40 must be graduate credits.
			Master of Business Administration The College of Business offers a 48 graduate credit-hour program leading to a nonthesis master of business administration degree. Students may select courses in the traditional business disciplines or choose areas of specialization in accounting, agribusiness, finance, human resource management, information systems, marketing, and manufacturing and quality.  Since no final oral examination is required, M.B.A. students must be registered for the equivalent of 2 credits the term of graduation or Gr St 601 (required registration) if no course work is required.
			Master of Community and Regional Planning The master of community and regional planning degree requires a minimum of 48 graduate semester credit hours. This degree is available as a thesis or nonthesis option.
			Master of Education For the master of education degree, a range of 30 to 40 graduate credits are required. The student demonstrates an ability to perform independent study through the completion of a creative component or a field-based activity.
			Master of Engineering The academic standards and the general level of attainment are the same for the master of engineering and master of science degrees. Master of engineering programs are offered to meet the needs for professionally oriented programs on campus and for off-campus professionally oriented programs at locations with adequate library and laboratory facilities. An appropriate number of credit hours in design, laboratory work, computation, or independent study is required as evidence of individual accomplishment. Of the minimum 30 graduate credits requirement, 22 credit hours must be earned at ISU.
			Master of Family and Consumer Sciences The College of Family and Consumer Sciences offers two nonthesis options leading to the degree master of family and consumer sciences. Both options are designed to enhance the skills of those holding the bachelor’s degree so that they may meet the requirements of their present jobs or progress in their careers. The comprehensive option can be followed on- or off-campus and requires 36 graduate credits covering a variety of family and consumer sciences subject matter. The specialization option requires 36 credits and is offered on-campus from the following departments: Hotel, Restaurant, and Institution Management; Human Development and Family Studies; and Textiles and Clothing. Both options require a written and oral integrative final exam.
			Master of Fine Arts For this degree a minimum of 60 graduate credits is required, 61 for the MFA in Integrated Visual Arts, including the completion of a thesis-exhibition or a thesis.
			Master of Landscape Architecture The master of landscape architecture degree requires a minimum of 36 graduate credits and the satisfactory completion of a thesis or a creative component.
			Master of Public Administration This is a professional degree program designed to provide training necessary for an administrator in a public or quasi-public bureaucracy. A minimum of 37 graduate credit hours is required in six subject areas. Either an internship in a governmental unit or a thesis is required.
			Master of School Mathematics This degree is designed primarily for inservice secondary mathematics teachers. Its prescribed program of study requires 36 graduate credits, two of which come from the writing of an approved creative component, 15 from courses offered for graduate credit, and 13 from courses offered for nonmajor graduate credit. At least 22 credit hours must be earned at ISU.

Master's Double Degree Programs

A double degree requires fulfillment of the requirements for two graduate majors for which two differently named master’s degrees and two diplomas are granted at the same time. For double degrees the final project (thesis or creative component) must integrate subject areas from both departments. One final oral examination must be held covering the combined thesis or creative component. Students planning to pursue double degrees must complete a double degree request form and submit it to the Dean of Graduate College for approval. Just one “Recommendation for Committee Appointment” form and one “Program of Study (POS)” form need to be submitted for the two degrees. However, two “Application for Graduation” forms, one for each degree, will need to be submitted. All forms should show clearly that the student is enrolled in a double-degree program. 

Like other master’s programs, three graduate faculty members can constitute a POS committee; however, POS committees for double degrees must include co-major professors from each of the majors. Although specific degree programs may require more, the program of study must include at least 44 hours of non-overlapping credit (22 for each major) in the two degrees.

Six such combinations are currently available: (1) Master of Architecture/Master of Business Administration; (2) Master of Architecture/ Master of Community and Regional Planning; (3) Master of Community and Regional Planning/Master of Business Administration; (4) Master of Landscape Architecture/Master of Community and Regional Planning; (5) Master of Public Administration/Master of Community and Regional Planning; and (6) Master of Science in Statistics/Master of Business Administration. If a student outside one of the named areas is interested in an individually-developed double degree program, a written proposal for a double degree to serve those interests and needs must be submitted to the Dean of the Graduate College for review. Please see the Graduate College Handbook for more information.

To provide training in the complementary fields of law, political science, and economics with a minimum amount of academic duplication, special arrangements for combined degree programs have been approved with the Drake University Law School. ISU and Drake offer a combined J.D.-M.A. in political science and J.D.-Ph.D. in economics. Drake Law School students are permitted to transfer the equivalent of nine semester credits of specified law courses to ISU for nonmajor graduate credit. Because of the difference in grading systems, the Law School grades are transferred as passes, provided the student has achieved a grade of C or better in those courses at Drake for the political science program or a grade of B or better for the economics program.

Applicants for either of the combined programs must meet the regular entrance requirements of, and be admitted to, both the Drake Law School and the ISU Graduate College. 

			Graduate Appointments and Study
			Admission
			Registration
			Grading
			General Requirements for Master's Degrees
			Doctor of Philosophy
			Summary of Graduate Majors