MASTER'S THESIS

Thesis Committee. A thesis committee will be appointed immediately following admission to candidacy. The thesis committee is composed of at least three members: two graduate faculty members from the major field and one from the minor field, provided a minor is elected. The thesis director will be selected by the student and, with guidance from the thesis director, the student will select the other two committee members. The thesis committee must then be approved by the chair of the major department and the appropriate academic dean. Any change in the composition of the thesis committee will be approved in the same manner.

Prospectus. The candidate, in consultation with the director of the thesis committee, will select a subject of investigation and determine the availability of the required sources, facilities, materials, and equipment for the research and the writing of the thesis. The student will prepare a thesis prospectus which will specify the thesis topic, detail the purpose of the proposed investigation, describe the proposed method(s) of investigation, indicate the relationship of study to relevant research and findings of scholars in the student's area of concentration, and provide a commentary on source materials and/or facilities available for the successful completion of the research.

The prospectus shall be submitted to the thesis committee during the semester following admission to candidacy. After the committee has approved and signed the prospectus, it is submitted to the appropriate academic dean for final approval. Any subsequent changes in topic or the proposed method of investigation must be approved in writing by the thesis committee and submitted for approval to the appropriate academic dean.

Thesis Preparation. In order to facilitate the preparation of the thesis, the candidate should procure a copy of the Directions on Form, Preparation, and Submission of The Final Copies of Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations. These guidelines are available from the appropriate academic dean's office, and from the University's Office of Graduate Studies.

Thesis Procedure. The candidate must submit the completed thesis to his/her committee for final approval at least three weeks prior to the date on which he/she expects to graduate. The following steps are the order of procedure:

1. The director of the thesis committee will establish a time and location for administering an oral examination on, or verbal defense of, the thesis. Members of the thesis committee and all members of the graduate faculty in the candidate's major field will be invited to attend the oral examination and may question the candidate.

2. The academic dean shall be informed of the time and location for the examination. Each academic dean shall appoint a member of the University Graduate Faculty to serve as a non-voting representative of the dean for each thesis, dissertation, or oral examination committee within the respective college. The college representative may be selected from a related academic discipline within the college or may be requested to serve from another college. Each college representative will submit a final report to the appointing dean providing an assessment of the thesis, dissertation, or oral examination committee's procedures and actions.

3. After the examination is passed and the thesis is approved and signed by the committee, the typed original shall be submitted to the academic dean at least two weeks prior to the date on which the candidate expects to graduate.

4. Upon receipt of approval of the academic dean, the original and the required number of acceptable copies of the thesis are taken to the Newton Gresham Library by the candidate. (Reproduction of the thesis is the responsibility of the candidate.) The candidate will pay the Newton Gresham Library for the binding costs. The original copy of the thesis will remain in the library collection.

5. The Thesis Route Sheet is forwarded by the Newton Gresham Library to the appropriate academic dean.

COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATION

All candidates for the master's degree must pass a comprehensive examination based on all their graduate course work. The major department will establish whether the comprehensive examination is written, oral, or a combination of the two. In the College of Business Administration, a minimum grade of B in the capstone course, Management 567, is required to satisfy the comprehensive examination requirement. In the College of Criminal Justice, all students in the M.A. program are required to complete a thesis and all students in the M.S. program are required to complete a capstone course with a grade of B or better.

The department chair of the major field will organize a committee of at least one graduate faculty representative from each area of concentration for the administration of the examination. The grade "high pass," "pass," or "fail," must be filed by the department chair in the office of the appropriate dean. A re-examination shall be permitted on any part(s) of the examination which the candidate fails. A third examination may be permitted upon approval of the appropriate academic dean and the committee.

Written Examination. The written examination usually will cover three areas of concentration: two areas in the major department and one area in the minor department. If all course work for the degree is within one department, the comprehensive examination will be determined by that department only.

Oral Examination. The oral examination is scheduled by the major department with committee members representing the major department and the minor department, if applicable.

SECOND MASTER'S DEGREE

A student may seek a second master's degree at Sam Houston State University, provided his/her field of concentration for this degree will be different from the field of concentration for the first master's degree.

Upon the written recommendation of the appropriate department chair(s) and dean, the following number of hours may be applied to the second degree:

1. A maximum of 6 semester credit hours may be applied toward satisfying the requirements of a second 30-hour master's degree at Sam Houston State University.

2. A maximum of 12 semester credit hours may be applied toward satisfying the requirements of a second 36-hour master's degree at Sam Houston State University.

3. A maximum of 24 semester credit hours may be applied toward satisfying the requirements of a second 60-hour Master of Fine Arts degree at Sam Houston State University.

A student may not simultaneously pursue two master's degrees at Sam Houston State University.

An individual holding a graduate degree from Sam Houston State University may relinquish the first graduate degree for a second graduate degree by completing all requirements for the second degree and securing the approval of the appropriate dean(s) and the Vice President for Academic Affairs. The Vice President for Academic Affairs shall be responsible for seeing that the permanent record reflects the change.

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