The master's degree program is aimed at providing a broad background in philosophy while encouraging complementary work in an approved minor field of study.The student may choose to complete 24 hours of graduate coursework plus 6 hours of thesis research. Alternatively, the student may complete 33 hours of graduate coursework and then take an oral exit examination over a significant research paper. Students from fields other than philosophy are encouraged to apply, although they may be required to complete a certain amount of philosophy leveling work during their first year of enrollment.The department also offers a Graduate Certificate in Ethics. The department offers thesis and non-thesis Master of Science programs.
The thesis option requires a minimum of 24 hours of graduate coursework plus 6 hours of thesis followed by successful defense of the thesis and final examination. The non-thesis degree requires a minimum of 36 hours of graduate coursework and a final examination. Transfer from a thesis to a non-thesis degree is not allowed after the first semester of enrollment. However, transfer from a non-thesis to a thesis degree is allowed for students showing a significant aptitude, provided that a major advisor has the desire and resources to support the transfer.
Before recommendation for candidacy to a master's degree program, students may be requested to take a preliminary examination to determine proficiency and background for graduate work. Students may be required to take such undergraduate leveling courses as may be designated by the graduate advisory committee. The doctoral program in agricultural and applied economics requires a minimum of 72 credit hours of coursework beyond the baccalaureate degree including at least 12 credit hours for dissertation. The program is designed to develop a broad-based competence in advanced economic theory, techniques of quantitative analysis, and public administration of agricultural and economic issues.
Two options are offered for the Doctor of Philosophy degree in the agricultural and applied economics program. The first option allows graduate students to select a minor of their choice in business administration, finance, mathematics, public administration, statistics, sociology, or other possible areas of study. The program has been designed to take advantage of the strengths of the department and areas of interest to students. The second option allows graduate students to select a minor in personal financial planning, a joint Ph.D. program between the department and the College of Human Sciences. Completion of the doctoral program in agricultural and applied economics with a minor in personal financial planning qualifies graduates to take a test administered by the Certified Financial Planning Board of Standards to become Certified Financial Planners. The doctoral program in animal science requires 60 hours of graduate coursework and 12 dissertation hours, totaling 72 hours.
The program is designed for students with specific interests in human physiology and exercise. The curriculum includes coursework in physiology, biochemistry, neurosciences, cell function and regulation, and statistics. A preliminary examination administered by joint faculty from exercise physiology and animal science is required before the dissertation proposal.Interested persons should contact the department graduate coordinator. Additional general degree requirements may be found in other sections of the catalog.Students who receive stipends have special responsibilities in research and teaching. The emphasis of the online Master of Arts in Dance Studies at Texas Tech University is to prepare the dance educator for teaching and scholarship. This program offers investigation into a range of disciplinary practices and includes in-depth study of dance histories, arts advocacy, pedagogies, and critical reading and writing.
Students also investigate movement practices in the contexts of choreography, anatomy and kinesiology, somatics, and collaboration. Completion of a written thesis or thesis project in a specialized area is required. The online Master of Arts in Dance Studies requires a minimum of 36 semester hours of graduate-level course requirements, normally constituting a three-year course of study.
The curriculum includes 15 credit hours of face-to-face instruction offered in summer terms and 21 credit hours of online coursework offered during fall and spring terms. The program is designed for working professionals who are encouraged to complete one online course each fall and spring in addition to the summer face-to-face components. It is expected that accepted students will have an undergraduate degree in dance or will have experience in dance (e.g., professional performance, choreography, training, and/or criticism) substantial enough to adequately prepare them for the required curriculum. In addition to the specialized degree programs offered in each department, the college offers a Master of Engineering degree that does not specify an area of specialization and does not require a thesis.
The program is designed primarily for practicing engineers who can receive credit for up to 9 of the required 36 semester hours completed in residence at another accredited graduate school. All work credited toward the degree must be completed within nine calendar years. Under certain circumstances, regular on-campus students may be admitted to the undifferentiated Master of Engineering degree program. In addition to the regulations governing admission to the Graduate School, a baccalaureate degree in engineering or its equivalent is required for entrance to the Master of Engineering program. The student may be required to take such undergraduate leveling courses as may be designated by the college. The Master of Science in Architecture (M.S.) is a research-based academic degree for students interested in advanced architectural studies.
This degree does not prepare students to receive an architecture licensure. Degree, or an approved bachelor's degree in architecture or in a related discipline (e.g., art, interior design, engineering, archaeology). Students who have non-architecture degrees and wish to enter the program and those who do not have a basic understanding of computing and computer-assisted design skills may be required to complete leveling work that will not accrue graduate credit toward their degree. Students will be required to complete a minimum of 28 credit hours of graduate study and write and defend a thesis .
Students requesting admission into the Master of Science in Architecture program must meet the entrance standards of the Graduate School and the College of Architecture. The master's degree program prepares students for successful professional careers in electrical engineering based on a broad foundation and specialized technical expertise. Students working toward the M.S.E.E. degree have the option of writing a thesis or taking additional courses. During their first semester, students must declare a thesis or non-thesis option.
Later, if desired, they may switch from the thesis to the non-thesis option with the permission of their thesis advisor. However, thesis credit hours they may have earned will not count toward the non-thesis degree. Alternately, students may switch from the non-thesis to the thesis option with permission of the graduate advisor. The doctoral program in Plant and Soil Science requires 60 semester hours of graduate coursework beyond the baccalaureate degree and 12 dissertation hours, totaling 72 hours.
Doctoral students can specialize in crop protection, crop science, fibers and biopolymers, horticulture, and soil science. The specialization should be chosen at the time of the preliminary examination. If the preliminary examination for admission to doctoral studies reveals weaknesses in the student's subject matter background, the student may be required to take remedial courses designated by the graduate faculty of the department. The student's advisory committee will make recommendations concerning language requirements and basic work in other sciences.
The M.P.A. degree is a non-thesis program that requires 39 hours of in-class coursework and a 3-hour internship. Of these hours, 21 are specified as core curriculum and must be completed by all students. The remaining hours are courses that are grouped as a combination of courses in a concentration and, as determined by the advisor, electives.
The 3-hour internship can be substituted for in-service students with substantial public service work experience. In order to complete the required 42 hours, students who receive such approval will have a choice of submitting a report integrating their previous experience with the study of public administration or taking a 3-hour elective. Students must develop their courses of study in consultation with the department's M.P. Terminal M.P.A. graduate students are required to complete, submit, and orally present a degree portfolio at the conclusion of their degree program. This master's degree combines study of the history, theory, research, and genres of technical communication with practice in applying this knowledge. The thesis option requires students to complete 24 hours of graduate courses in technical communication and electives or a minor, 6 hours of research methods, and a thesis.
The non-thesis option requires students to complete 36 hours of graduate courses in technical communication, electives, and a minor. Students who elect the non-thesis option must pass a comprehensive portfolio examination in the semester of graduation. The Master of Science in Kinesiology provides advanced study in clinical exercise physiology, human performance, and motor behavior/exercise and sport psychology. This degree requires a minimum of 36 hours of graduate courses and provides thesis and non-thesis options. The thesis option requires successful completion of a research project culminating in a thesis and its defense, which comprises 6 of the 36 hours.
The non-thesis option requires 36 hours of coursework, which may include up to 6 hours in clinical exercise physiology internships, along with passing of a comprehensive evaluation. Each student will have a faculty advisor with whom the planned course of study must be developed. This Ph.D. program also offers a terminal master's degree (M.A.) option in experimental psychology and a combined B.A.-M.A. Option with a concentration in one of the concentration areas of experimental psychology, human factors. The doctoral program typically takes four to five years of full-time study, and the terminal master's program typically takes two years of full-time study.
The concentration areas available in the experimental psychology graduate program at the master's and doctoral levels are cognition and cognitive neuroscience, human factors, and social psychology. Extensive details regarding a typical curriculum in each of the concentration areas of experimental psychology are available online at Students working on a master's degree may pursue either non-thesis or thesis options.The master's program requires completion of 36 semester credit hours.
During their second semester, students must declare a thesis or non-thesis option.Later, if desired, they may switch from the thesis to the non-thesis option with the permission of their advisor. However, thesis credit hours they have earned will not count toward the non-thesis degree. Each option has a set of required core courses that are selected in consultation with the student's advisor.
The doctoral degree requires a minimum of 61 semester hours of graduate work beyond the bachelor's degree, exclusive of credit for the dissertation. A minimum tool requirement for all Ph.D. students is the successful completion of POLS 5381 and POLS plus POLS 5383 with a minimum grade of B. Additional language or tool requirements may be imposed at the time of the student's preliminary examination and will be tailored to the student's field of specialization.
Students may be admitted directly into the doctoral program without first having completing a master's degree. The M.A.E. graduate coordinator will evaluate applicants who have met the minimum entrance requirements of the Graduate School. The applicant for the M.A.E. degree must submit a portfolio and/or slides of his or her art and, if possible, examples of student art to the preview committee.
On the basis of these requirements, the preview committee will make recommendations concerning the acceptance of students to the M.A.E. degree program and will determine and prescribe any leveling work to be completed before or after acceptance. Teacher certification is available with an additional 18 hours of coursework and student teaching. Students applying for the Master of Arts Education degree program do not need to submit scores for the Graduate Record Examination. Students are required to take 24 credit hours of coursework and perform six credit hours of research for the thesis option or 36 hours of coursework for the non-thesis option. At least half of the coursework hours must be taken in the Whitacre College of Engineering.
The remaining courses can be taken within, or outside, of the college of engineering since this is intended as an interdisciplinary master's degree. At least one higher level math course must be taken at the graduate level. Students must take at least 60 credit hours of graduate course work exclusive of the dissertation, with no more than 18 hours of individual study courses. Such courses involve a special arrangement between a student and a faculty member in which the student carries out assignments in a subject not available in a regular course. Students are not required to take a formal minor subject, but if a minor is declared, it must include at least 15 credit hours outside the department.
The minor must be represented by a faculty member from the minor department on the student's advisory committee. The Master of Science in Sport Management provides advanced study in management theories, principles, and research about the sport industry. The non-thesis option requires 36 hours of coursework along with passing of a comprehensive evaluation. Six semester hours in art history at the undergraduate or graduate level are a prerequisite or corequisite for this certificate. Students who have met the minimum entrance requirements of the Graduate School should apply there and to the Graduate Certificate Coordinator, School of Art, for entry into the certificate program. The Graduate School will issue the certificate upon completion of the required 15 semester hours of coursework.
Courses completed as requirements for another program (e.g., a minor field of study) can be applied toward the certificate. Thesis, Non-Thesis Options.Students in the sociology program may select the thesis option or non-thesis option. The thesis option is strongly recommended for students who plan to continue their graduate studies by applying to a doctoral program. Students choosing the thesis plan in sociology are required to take 30 hours of coursework plus 6 hours of thesis credit. They are also required to complete a thesis that is acceptable to the student's departmental thesis committee and demonstrate proficiency in a statistics software program.
Students may petition the Graduate Committee to substitute another organized course from within the department for one of the required theory and/or methods courses. Students choosing the non-thesis plan are required to take 36 hours of coursework . They are also required to complete a paper on a topic related to their professional interests that is acceptable to the student's departmental committee. In addition to regulations established by the Graduate School for the Doctor of Philosophy degree, students are required to demonstrate high proficiency in a single research area through a record of accomplishments. As part of this record, students should have at least one technical paper published or accepted for publication in an archival journal relevant to their field of expertise prior to the defense of their thesis.
Individual faculty advisors may choose to require more than one journal publication. The Ph.D. degree requires a minimum of 60 hours of graduate coursework, 12 hours of ME 8000 (Doctor's Dissertation), the candidacy exam, and public Ph.D. defense. The graduate coursework includes at least 12 lecture courses and research courses. A maximum of 6 graduate-level courses can be transferred from a prior master's degree earned outside the Mechanical Engineering department at Texas Tech University. The Department of Environmental Toxicology and the Texas Tech School of Law provide students an opportunity to combine science and law in studying contemporary environmental and public health problems. A dual degree program in Environmental Toxicology is one way to enrich the environmental curriculum to the advantage of both law and graduate students.
The dual degree candidate must choose to pursue both degrees by the end of the third or fourth semester in law school, and must meet admission requirements of the Graduate School and Environmental Toxicology. Typically, depending on the amount of leveling work required, both degree programs can be finished within four years, including summer session courses. The department graduate advisor will meet, advise, and approve courses for the degree each semester. In addition to the written thesis, the candidate's thesis committee will administer a final oral exam/defense of the completed thesis.
This thesis option requires a minimum of 30 credit hours comprised of 24 hours of coursework and 6 hours of PETR 6000 , and a minimum of 3 hours of PETR 5121 is required . The Master of Science in Kinesiology provides advanced study in Motor Behavior/Exercise and Sport Psychology. The non-thesis option requires 36 hours of coursework, along with passing of a comprehensive evaluation. The Master of Science in Kinesiology provides advanced study in Human Performance. The Master of Science in Kinesiology provides advanced study in Clinical Exercise Physiology.
The non-thesis option requires 36 hours of coursework, which may include up to 6 hours in clinical exercise physiology internship, along with passing of a comprehensive evaluation. Students in the Doctor of Philosophy in Human Development and Family Sciences program also complete the master's program requirements. In recognition of the methodological and statistical sophistication of the field, they take three additional quantitative statistics courses and a qualitative methods course. In recognition of a likely future career as college faculty, they spend two semesters in a college teaching practicum. Students are also required to take the lead on a research project prior to becoming a doctoral candidate and complete a dissertation with at least 12 hours of dissertation research. At least nine courses must be related to their specialization, and up to five courses may be taken outside of the HDFS department.
Up to 30 transfer hours may be applied toward doctoral program requirements upon approval of the student's committee and the Graduate School. Entry into the non-thesis option must be approved by the departmental graduate committee. Graduate students in this nonthesis option are required to take 36 credit hours of graduate coursework, and must pass a comprehensive examination. The coursework for each student must meet approval of the department's graduate committee. Students must obtain approval from the department before registering for required graduate courses. This non-thesis degree program requires a minimum of 36 semester hours of graduate coursework and is considered a terminal degree.
