Master of Arts Program
Students in the master of arts (MA) program complete the following program of study in approximately two years. Most classes will be offered in late afternoon and early evening. Please consult the Graduate Student Handbook on the Prevention Science Canvas site for a full description of program requirements and expectations.
General Overview
The total number of credits for the MA degree is 34 credits. Full-time study for one semester is 9 credits of coursework. Successful completion of the degree program requires both fulfilling the credit requirement and the completion of a capstone project (described below). Students are expected to maintain a minimum of a B (3.0) average throughout the program of study. In the event that a student's cumulative grade-point average falls below 3.0, a meeting with the Graduate Director will be arranged to discuss the reasons behind the performance and what steps, if any, need to be taken to bring the student in line with the requirement. Additional information can be found in the section on Academic Standing.
General Timeline for Completion for Full-Time Study
Year 1 (Semester 1)
- Take 10 credits of required courses
Year 1 (Semester 2)
- Take 10 credits of required courses
Year 2 (Semester 3)
- Take 7 credits of required courses, one of which is the first course in the capstone series ("Applied Prevention Science")
- Take 1 elective course
Year 2 (Semester 4)
- Take 4 credits of required courses, one of which is the second course in the capstone series ("Seminar in Action Research")
- If students need to maintain part-time or full-time status for financial aid purposes, they will need to take additional credits: at least 2 additional credits for part-time status or at least 5 additional credits for full-time status
Advising
MA students are not required to have an advisor, but it is strongly recommended that students identify and contact a faculty member with whom they are interested in working to learn about opportunities to participate in research; doing so will be an advantageous experience (for students' capstone project, future job opportunities, letters of recommendation, etc.).
Capstone Project
The capstone project will be completed in the context of the "Seminar in Action Research" course. Students must earn at least a B in the course and present their project in the "Current Topics in Prevention Science" course to satisfy requirements for a master's degree.