Master of Arts, Master of Arts in Liberal Studies, and Master of Science
Candidates for the M.A., M.A.L.S., or M.S. degree must satisfy the
requirements of the Graduate School-Newark, as well as those of the
program in which they are enrolled. The Graduate School-Newark requires
that students:
1. Earn a minimum of 30 credits of successful
graduate study. Two exceptions are the programs in nursing and
psychology, each of which requires 36 credits. The other exception is
global affairs, which requires 40 credits.
2. If required by
the program, complete successfully a final comprehensive examination in
the student`s field of concentration.
3. Satisfy a writing
requirement by submitting a master`s thesis or by demonstrating to the
faculty the ability to write a creditable expository or critical essay.
Students who do not submit a thesis may fulfill the writing requirement
as part of a regular course, in a seminar, or through a special
assignment designed for this purpose.
4. Pass a foreign language examination if required by the program.
5. Complete at least 60 percent of their degree programs in
graduate-level courses that are under the jurisdiction of the Graduate
School-Newark.
In addition, the school has three other
requirements that limit the number of credits that will be accepted
below a grade of B, that can consist of transferred credits, and
that can be earned in undergraduate courses. Specifically, these
requirements state that:
1. No more than 9 credits can have a grade as low as C or C+.
2. No more than 40 percent of a student`s program may consist of
transferred graduate-graded course work. In the public administration
program, this includes professional credit.
3. No more than 12
credits of advanced Rutgers undergraduate course work (numbered 300 or
400) may be approved by the graduate program.
With the
approval of the graduate program director, however, students may select
courses from a single program or from several related programs. All
programs of study are subject to review by the dean of the Graduate
School-Newark and to the approval of the candidate`s program faculty.
Specific program requirements are noted in the Programs, Faculty, and
Courses chapter.
Master of Arts for Teachers
Programs leading to the degree of master of arts for teachers are
offered to secondary school teachers who wish to further their studies.
These programs do not lead to teacher certification although they may
fulfill certification requirements through additional studies.
Inquiries concerning teacher certification should be directed to the
Graduate School of Education, Rutgers, The State University of New
Jersey, 10 Seminary Place, New Brunswick, NJ 08901-1183.
The
degree requirements for the M.A.T. differ from those for the M.A. and
M.S. For the M.A.T., there is no limit on the advanced undergraduate
courses that a student may take. All programs consist primarily of work
in regular courses of study, and no program requires a thesis. All
other requirements governing the M.A.T. degree may be found in the
preceding section on M.A., M.A.L.S., and M.S. degrees.
Master of Public Administration
Candidates for the master of public administration (M.P.A.) degree must
satisfy the requirements of the Graduate School-Newark and those of the
program in public administration. Requirements of this program are as
follows:
1. A minimum of 42 credits of successful
graduate study comprised of course work and demonstrated proficiency in
the subject matter. Proficiency is demonstrated through the completion
of a capstone paper or successfully passing the M.P.A
Comprehensive Examination. a. The student can select Option 1 or Option
2 in order to complete the degree requirements:
Option 1
(Capstone Paper Option): A core of 10 required courses (30 credits) is
required and the student elects to complete a capstone paper as part of
the required course work.
Option 2 (M.P.A. Comprehensive
Examination Option): If the student elects to take the M.P.A
Comprehensive Examination in lieu of completing the capstone paper, a
core of nine courses (27 credits) will be required. For students who
select this option, five elective courses must be taken in order to
fulfill the 42 credit minimum requirement.
b. A minimum of
four elective courses (12 credits) in areas of specialization (public
management, health care administration, public financial management,
urban systems and problems, human resources administration, or
education administration) must be taken in order to fulfill the 42
credit requirement.
Students who opt to take the M.P.A
Comprehensive Examination (Option 2) in lieu of completing the capstone
paper will need to select a fifth elective to satisfy the credit
requirement for the M.P.A. degree.
2. In lieu
of course work, the school may grant credit for past or present public
service at the professional level for significant managerial
experiences, i.e., in the areas of staff supervision, budgeting and/or
policy development and implementation. Students wishing to apply for
professional credit must submit that request with appropriate
documentation of the student`s managerial experiences for review and
approval of the graduate program director. Such requests cannot be made
until the student has completed at least 12 credits in the M.P.A.
program with a minimum GPA of 3.0.
In addition, students
may transfer previously earned graduate credits (taken within the past
six years) that are pertinent to the M.P.A. The student must have
earned a grade of B or better in those courses in order for credit
to be considered. A copy of the student`s official transcript and a
formal request from the student must be made to the graduate program
director for transfer credit approval. There is a 12-credit limit on
the number of credits that can be granted for the combination of
managerial experiences and graduate educational credits.
