Graduate
School
Plan B: Master's Degree Without Thesis
The requirements for this plan follow Plan A in matters of admission
and language requirements. Unless otherwise specified by the program,
a Plan B student must pass either a final written examination or a final
oral examination, or both, at the discretion of the graduate faculty in
the major field. Plan B differs from Plan A in substituting for the thesis
a heavier course requirement and/or special projects. For professional
purposes, the master's degree program under Plan B is less a test of research
interest and more adapted to individuals who will profit by a broader
range of knowledge in their fields. Whether taken for professional or
personal purposes, the requirements for Plan B are meant to test interests
and intellectual abilities for a different purpose, but not on a different
level, from that of Plan A.
Under Plan B, students must complete an approved program of coursework consisting of at least 30 semester credits. At least 14 of these credits must be in the major field, at least a minimum of 6 credits must be in one or more related fields outside the major, and the remaining credits may be in either the major or related fields. Normally a majority of the program credits are in the major field. These are minimum credit requirements; some major fields require additional work.
After completing 10 credits and ordinarily not later than the second semester of registration (the second year for longer programs), students must file an official degree program with the Graduate School. This requirement may vary with the program. The program form is available in the UMD Graduate School office. Students list all coursework, completed and proposed, that will be offered to fulfill degree requirements, including transfer work. If a foreign language is required, it is specified. The members of a student's final examining committee are appointed by the Graduate School dean on recommendation of the faculty in the major field at the time the student's official degree program is approved. A degree program approved by the Graduate School must be on file before reviewers report, examination, or graduation forms can be released to the student.
Students who wish to complete a designated minor (certified on the transcript; related fields option is not) must complete at least 6 semester credits in a single field. A designated minor must be approved by the director of graduate studies in the minor field.
If Plan B projects are required, these should take a combined minimum of 120 hours of effort on the part of the student. This requirement may be satisfied through papers written in conjunction with regular courses, papers written in specially designed courses, presentation of a studio show (art), or other appropriate methods. Students should consult individual programs concerning the project's requirement. If one Plan B project is required, it must be in the major; additional projects may be in related field(s).
In cases where the student takes coursework beyond the minimum requirements, both the adviser and the Graduate School may demand comparable standards of performance for all work taken and, in evaluating and approving the minimum program submitted, will reject the minimum degree program if the GPA for the total number of courses taken falls below 2.80 and may terminate candidacy.
Under this plan, the candidate is examined by a committee of not less than three members, two from the major field and one from a related field or minor, appointed by the Graduate School dean upon recommendation of the adviser and the director of graduate studies. The adviser is expected to contact the UMD Graduate School office before the student's final examination for the degree to obtain an Examination Report Form for use by the student's committee. The student makes available to the examining committee for its review the projects prepared to fulfill the required 120 hours of effort, within an adequate period of time to allow for evaluation before the examination(s). A majority vote of the committee, all members present and voting, is required to pass. The vote is reported to the Graduate School on a form previously requested by the advisor. In case of failure, unanimous consent of the examining committee is required to retake the master's final examination, providing the reexamination is conducted by the original committee.