MS and Credits

[m.giugno]

Hi everybody!

I'll start a MS with thesis option next fall and I was wondering if anyone can clear some things to me.

The minimum credits amount for graduation is 32.

I'm on a assistantship covering 9 credits for Fall/Spring and 6 for Summer. This counts for a 24 credits total each year.

1) Do I need to pay every credit in excess each semester?

2) Is thesis usually counted in the total amount of credits?

3) Is that right to assume that a MS lasts 1.5 years at this rythm(Fall, Spring, Summer, Fall)?

Thank you so much!

[rising_star]

I'm not sure how you'd write a thesis in 1.5 years. It's typically two years for a MS.

1) Yes, you probably have to pay for any credits above what your assistantship covers. But, why would you want to take more credits in any particular semester? Taking more credits isn't going to help you graduate faster.

2) Usually there are thesis units that you can enroll in. At my MA institution, that was a maximum of 6 units, which you took in the final semester when you would defend the thesis. Before that, you could take "thesis research" units or independent study units if you weren't at the minimum number of credits to be full-time (9 credits at my MA institution, 6 credits at my PhD institution).

3) Theoretically. But that would only work if the courses you needed were offered on that schedule, which is unlikely since graduate courses aren't typically taught during the summer. It's also really difficult to do research while taking a full load of courses. More typically, it's fall, spring, fall, spring with the summer used to do the bulk of the thesis research.

[robot_hamster]

You need 32 hours total to graduate including your thesis hours? 9 x 4 semesters = 36 hours. I agree with the others about credit hours during the summer. Usually you can't find much except maybe a math class. Perhaps they just expect you to sign up for thesis credits for the summer?

The way it is a my school, it is 30 hours to complete the degree. There has to be 24 hours in classes, plus 6 hours in thesis. You can easily do more than that by being "full time" each semester.

[m.giugno]

I need to take 6 credits during summer as stated in my contract. I hope they are about thesis/research.

In the Fall I think I'll have 2 courses each of 3 CR, 1 Seminar (mandatory) of 1 CR and 1 (fundamentals) course of 4 CR. Can not eliminate one of the courses with 3 CR otherwise I will fall under 9 CR valid for full time status. So, total 11 credits!

I think I'll need to pay 2 hours extra.. Same for Spring I assume, except seminar (not required).

Fall 11 --> 11 CR

Spring 12 --> 10 CR

Summer 12 --> 6 CR (thesis/research)

Total 27 CR

I'll miss 5 credits for the Fall 12 and graduate when? End of Fall or Spring?

Thank you so much!

[rising_star]

I'll miss 5 credits for the Fall 12 and graduate when? End of Fall or Spring?

It would depend on when you finish your thesis.