http://www.grad.umn.edu/current_students/degree_completion/masters/index.html Students enrolled in the Ph.D. program may also elect to complete an M.A. degree (Plan A—thesis or Plan B—3 written papers).

The Graduate School requires filing an official degree program. It is the occasion for the student to designate an adviser and committee members, as well as lay out a plan for coursework. American Studies uses this occasion to ask students to describe their research interests and the coherence of proposed coursework. Degree programs should be interdisciplinary and built around a subarea.

The official M.A. degree program form should be filed at least one semester before the student takes the M.A. oral examination. Graduate School strongly recommends filing the degree program as early as possible. When students are ready to file the M.A. degree program, s/he should obtain the following documents from the American Studies office and submit them to his/her M.A. Oral Committee for approval.

M.A. Program Worksheet

This form enables the Graduate Student's Oral Committee to see that proposed courses fulfill American Studies course requirements.

Proposed M.A. Committee form

With the assistance of the adviser and the DGS, students should select a total of three American Studies graduate faculty members (including the adviser) to serve on their Master's oral examining committee. These faculty should be familiar with the individual student’s coursework, Plan A thesis (or Plan B papers), and knowledgeable about the student’s general areas of interest. Only one non-American Studies graduate faculty member may serve on a Master's oral committee. In the case of a minor in a supporting program, one graduate faculty member affiliated with that program must serve as a committee member. If a student’s adviser holds, for example, graduate faculty status in women’s studies as well as American studies, the adviser cannot serve as the women’s studies representative.

Transcript and Transfer Courses

Students must submit current University of Minnesota transcripts as well as transcripts for any proposed transfer courses. These transcripts do not need to be official copies. Graduate level courses taken at other accredited universities, which students would like to include in their American Studies programs, should be listed on both the M.A. Program Worksheet and the Graduate School Degree Program Courses form. The student’s M.A. Committee will evaluate the appropriateness of including those courses in the official degree program and decide whether to recommend approval to the Graduate School. On the M.A. level, a student may transfer no more than 40% of the courses required for the degree. Students should consult the Graduate School Catalog for regulations pertaining to transfer courses. The Graduate School makes the final decision regarding all transfer courses.

Program Statement

This 2-3 page statement should identify and describe the field of concentration which is the focus of Master’s degree coursework. Because the function and content are similar, please refer to the doctoral “Program Statement” section on page 14. Your adviser’s signature on the internal Proposed M.A. Committee form certifies that the student’s M.A. Examining Committee has reviewed and approved the program statement.

Graduate School Materials needed to file an M.A. Degree Plan
http://www.grad.umn.edu/forms/gs89a.pdf

These forms are the “official” part of your degree program. In other words, these are the forms that eventually make their way to the Graduate School.

Degree Program Transmittal

This is the cover sheet of the student’s Graduate School degree program form. Students should not fill in the bottom section of the form, but should indicate their proposed committee on the internal Proposed M.A. Committee form (Appendix E). Students should, however, be sure to obtain the signatures of their adviser(s) and the DGS of the appropriate supporting Program if students are including a minor before they submit the form. The DGS Assistant will fill in committee members’ names and forward the form to the DGS for signature after the student’s M.A. examination committee has approved the program statement.

Degree Program Coursework

This form is a list of all the courses that the student will take (or has taken) to fulfill the degree requirements. Note: All 10 M. A. Plan A thesis credits should be included on this form.

The student’s M.A. Examining Committee will evaluate the proposed degree program to decide whether to recommend that it be forwarded to the Graduate School for approval or to recommend revision. It is not unusual for the Committee to ask for clarification of a student's proposed field of interest and the rationale behind them. It is unusual for the Committee to recommend changing a proposed oral exam committee, unless a faculty member who would be particularly appropriate has been omitted for no apparent reason. Once the degree program has been approved by the student’s M.A. Examining Committee, it will be signed by the DGS and returned to the student who will deliver it to the Graduate School Student Support and Progress Office (316 Johnston) for final approval.

Changing the Degree Program

Once approved by the Graduate School, the degree program can be changed by petition to the American Studies Program (the DGS) and the Graduate School. Changes to the degree program may become necessary, particularly when courses designated on the degree program are not offered or when newly offered courses are more appropriate to a student’s program. If students, in consultation with their adviser and the DGS, decide to change the degree program, they should submit a completed petition form (available in Appendix A or on the web to their adviser and the DGS. Once the approval of these two faculty members is obtained, the form is sent to the Graduate School for final approval. All changes to the degree program must be complete before the student takes the Master's oral examination.

Changing the Examining Committee

Changes to the examining committee may be made with the consent of the adviser and the DGS. The American Studies office will notify the Graduate School of such changes.

Students may select either of two plans to fulfill their Master's requirements:

Plan A Thesis

The Plan A thesis should be developed with the advice of the adviser during the preparation of the M.A. program. The thesis proposal must be submitted for approval as part of the official degree program. Each student who chooses to do a Plan A thesis must register for a total of ten master’s thesis credits.

Plan B Papers

Those students who choose to do a Plan B master’s program must write and submit three approved Plan B projects. Ordinarily these projects are papers written in connection with courses (including directed readings or independent study) taken for the degree. A Plan B paper may or may not be an official part of the work for the course, but it must be written with the consent and approval of the instructor. Usually Plan B papers run between 20 and 40 pages. Papers must be submitted to the instructor for approval. If the instructor accepts the paper, he/she should write on the title page “Accepted as a Plan B Paper for the M.A. in American Studies,” and sign and date it. After completion of the Final Oral examination, the signed papers should be submitted to the DGS Assistant and they will be kept in your permanent American Studies file. Other types of projects may be done with the approval of the faculty member with whom the student wishes to work and the DGS.

For more information on Plan A and Plan B see Course Requirements.

Each student will take an oral examination covering those topics addressed in the three Plan B papers or in the Plan A thesis. This examination will be administered by the student’s Master’s oral examining committee, comprised of the adviser (chair), and two other American Studies graduate faculty members. The exam generally lasts one hour.

Scheduling the Master's Oral Exam

The oral exam must be scheduled after the successful completion of all other M.A. requirements. Scheduling of the exam should be done by the student with the assistance of the adviser, and is subject to Graduate School time-lines. Students should be sure to consult the Graduate School Catalog (http://www1.umn.edu/commpub/gradindex.html) when scheduling the M.A. oral examination.

Evaluation of Master's Oral Examination

Students will be notified of the outcome of the evaluation of the master’s oral examining committee immediately following the oral exam. The oral is evaluated on the following scale: Pass, Pass with Reservations, or Fail. The Graduate School will award those students who earn “Pass” the degree. Those students who earn a “Pass with Reservations” will consult with the committee concerning additional requirements to be fulfilled before the degree will be conferred. Those students who fail the oral exam may re-take the exam one time at a later date. Specific arrangements will be made in consultation with the DGS, the adviser, and the oral examining committee.

Students will be considered eligible for graduation after successfully completing the M.A. Oral Examination (Plan B – Papers ) and submission of the M.A. Thesis (Plan A). Students may obtain a graduation packet as soon as the Graduate School approves the M.A. degree proposal. You may request a packet on line here.