The student may choose between two options to obtain the M.S. degree: thesis or coursework. Students should carefully weigh the pros and cons of these alternatives in consultation with their LS&T faculty advisor prior to selecting an option. Completion of the M.S. degree requires 33 graduate credit hours. M.S. LS&T students who wish to become doctoral candidates in LS&T must first complete their M.S. degree in LS&T following the thesis option.
To satisfy the interdisciplinary nature of the LS&T program, each M.S. student must complete the following 15 graduate credit hours that form the core requirements.
- Computer Science Requirement [6 graduate credit hours]
- Two LS&T Computer Science courses
- Cognitive Psychology Requirement [6 graduate credit hours]
- Two LS&T Cognitive Psychology courses
- •Statistics Requirement [3 graduate credit hours]
- One LS&T Statistics course; or
- CS 567. Empirical Methods for Human-Centered Computing
No single graduate course can be double counted to satisfy two of the above requirements.
M.S. in LS&T – Coursework Option
In addition to the 15 graduate credit hours as required by the M.S. core requirements, a student pursuing the coursework option must register for an additional six graduate courses (totaling 18 graduate credit hours). To ensure a sufficient focus on LS&T, two of these courses (for a total of 6 graduate credit hours) must be from the LS&T course list. The remaining four courses (for a total of 12 graduate credit hours) are electives that relate to the student’s individual program of study and must be selected in consultation with the student’s LS&T advisor.
Note that M.S. graduate credits cannot be from independent study/research courses except by approval of the LS&T Program Director.
M.S. in LS&T – Thesis Option
In addition to the 15 graduate credit hours as required by the M.S. core requirements, a student pursuing the thesis option must satisfactorily complete a written thesis. Any Core or Associated LS&T faculty may serve as the thesis advisor. A thesis consisting of a research or development project worth a minimum of 9 graduate credit hours must be completed and presented to the LS&T faculty. A thesis proposal must be approved by the Core LS&T faculty and the student’s advisor before the student can register for more than four thesis credits.
To complete the remaining 9 graduate credit hours, the student must register for an additional three graduate courses. To ensure a sufficient focus on LS&T, two of these courses (for a total of 6 graduate credit hours) must be from the LS&T course list. The remaining course (of 3 graduate credit hours) is an elective that relates to the student’s individual program of study and must be selected in consultation with the student’s LS&T advisor. As for the coursework option, M.S. graduate credits cannot be from independent study/research courses except by approval of the LS&T Program Director.