Course Requirement
The student is required to complete at least 30 semester hours of graduate coursework and maintain an overall GPA of 3.0.
M.S students will be required to submit their final MS Coursework Plan to the department before graduation. This form can also be used to help students plan their courses. Students should discuss any questions or concerns they may have about their course plan or requirements with their academic advisor or Faculty Coordinator for their research area.
M.S. students must declare an official advisor - who will supervise the student's work on the scholarly paper - by the end of the student’s first semester.
Scholarly Paper Requirement
For the non-thesis option, a scholarly paper must be completed and approved by two members of the graduate faculty. The Scholarly Paper topic must be approved by the student’s advisor no later than the end of the student’s first year of study.
The scholarly paper can:
Take the form of a critical literature search; in this form, the paper can be similar to the first chapter of a Ph.D. dissertation including:
A survey of the state of the art in a given problem area
Concise discussion of the fundamental principles involved
Discussion of what needs to be done to extend the state of the art in the future.
Take the form of a piece of original research as for the M.S. thesis, although the research need not be as extensive. This form, for example might be the solution of a problem of interest by a preliminary or less developed method.
Be non-original such as redoing all or part of the work of a published paper or report in order to gain in-depth understanding of a complicated analysis technique or concept.
The procedure for review of the scholarly paper is as follows:
The advisor is responsible for setting dates and deadlines for the review of the paper. The student is responsible for providing the advisor and second reader a typewritten copy at least ten days prior to the review deadline.
If major problems are found, the advisor shall recommend revisions.
Independent Study Course and the Scholarly Paper
Students may not receive independent study credit (ENCE689) by completing the scholarly paper. An exception can be requested by students who have completed a significant amount of work or study outside of the scholarly paper, such as research toward a funded research project. To request an exception, students must email Anna Damm (adamm1@umd.edu) in the Graduate Studies Office. If granted, a student may only receive a maximum of 3 credits of independent study credit.
Comprehensive Exam Requirement
For the non-thesis option, a comprehensive exam is also required. The requirements for includes a written section and/or an oral examination. The comprehensive exam will cover material learned in technical area core courses. The student must discuss details with his/her advisor.
Final Approval of Non-Thesis
Final approval of the non-thesis option is obtained when the Scholarly Paper Form form has been signed by both members of the graduate faculty. The signatures indicate that the student has successfully completed both the scholarly paper and comprehensive exam requirements.