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Education & Human Development

Educational psychology, how to apply.

The Department OF Educational Psychology

The Department of Educational Psychology (EPSY) is home to a variety of interrelated disciplines and degree options focused on human development and well-being in educational and community contexts. Our undergraduate programs prepare students to work with children and youth in a variety of community and school contexts. We also offer a range of professional master’s degrees geared towards professionals in schools, communities, and the corporate world. For those interested in doctoral studies we offer Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees in Educational Psychology, Counseling Psychology, and School Psychology.

Program Areas to choose from

Educational psychology, us news & world report 2021, number of online courses available, former student highlight, michele sheppard.

“When I started at A&M, it was unlike any other, they push you to be your very best. Being a single mom and going back to school was not always easy but you can do it!”

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Emphasis Areas

Educational psychology programs.

UNDERGRADUATE STUDIES

EPSY offers a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Education and University Studies, with one of three focuses.

Undergraduate Studies

Graduate Programs

The department of Educational Psychology offers a range of professional graduate degree programs.

ONLINE EDUCATION

EPSY offers a wide variety of online programs and courses to many the diverse needs our students.

Online Education

Certificates

Undergraduate students have the opportunity to complete certificate programs while completing their degree requirements.

FROM OUR FORMER STUDENTS

“I came to the conclusion that being a special educator is less about whom you teach and more about what you teach.”

– Stephanie Haetchen ’12 Special Education Programs

Upcoming Events

View all upcoming EPSY events

Doctorate in Educational Psychology with an emphasis in:

Research, measurement, and statistics, ph.d. in educational psychology: emphasis in research, measurement, and statistics.

The Ph.D. program in Educational Psychology with an emphasis in Research, Measurement and Statistics (RMS) focuses on a broad range of quantitative and methodological issues, including:

• Multivariate statistics,
• Item response theory,
• Generalizability theory,
• Hierarchical linear modeling,
• Structural equation modeling,
• Meta analysis,
• Single case design & analysis,
• Growth modeling, and
• Monte Carlo study.

RMS faculty are leading scholars who have earned international recognition and attract students from around the state and across the nation. RMS faculty not only engage in the development and application of cutting-edge quantitative research methods; they are also committed to training the next generation of methodologists. Graduates with this specialization are in demand for higher education academic positions and both school- and industry-based jobs in measurement and evaluation. RMS graduates hold positions at many major universities and research agencies.

Applications are currently closed and will reopen August 1st for fall 2025 admissions.

To be admitted to a graduate program, you must apply to the EPSY department and Texas A&M University.

Program Details

Degree: Doctorate in Educational Psychology Emphasis: Research, Measurement, and Statistics Degrees Offered: Ph.D. Credit Hours: minimum 72 hours

Select School of Education and update credit hours.

Core Curriculum

Ph.d. curriculum, prerequisite courses (3 credits each).

EPSY 622* : Measurement and Evaluation in Education EPSY 635* : Educational Statistics EPSY 636* : Techniques of Research

Core Courses (3 credits each)

EPSY 625 : Advanced Psychometric Theory EPSY 633 : Qualitative Research Design and Data Collection EPSY 640 : Statistical Analysis in Educational Research I EPSY 641 : Statistical Analysis in Educational Research II EPSY 642: Meta-Analysis of Behavioral Research EPSY 650: Multiple Regression and Other Linear Model in Educational Research EPSY 651: Theory of Structural Equation Modeling EPSY 652: Theory of Hierarchical Linear Modeling EPSY 656: Survey Instrument Development

Other Courses

EPSY 691 : Dissertation Research Hours ( Minimum 13 credits) Electives: RMS Courses **( Minimum 24 credits)

RMS Related Electives

EPSY 631:  Program Evaluation EPSY 637:  Qualitative Grounded Theory Methodologies EPSY 643:  Applied Multivariate Methods EPSY 653:  Advanced Structural Equation Modeling EPSY 654: Longitudinal Data Analysis EPSY 655: Item Response Theory EPSY 690:  Experimental Research Design in Educational Settings

• Electives which have been offered in the last three years and have permanent numbering in the 2018-2019 Graduate Course Catalog. The course code is currently listed as EPSY 690 and will be changed to EPSY 639 .

Other EPSY Electives

EPSY 630: Single Case Experimental Design EPSY 634:  Educational Neuroscience EDTC 608:  Foundations of Distance Learning EDTC 654:  Instructional Design-Technique in Educational Technology EPSY 646:  Issues in Child and Adolescent Development EPSY 647: Lifespan Development EPSY 673:  Learning Theories for Education

• Electives which have been offered in the last three years and which have permanent numbering in the 2018-2019 Graduate Course Catalog.

Total: 64 credits

*Prerequisite course requirements may be waived for students who have comparable previous coursework or demonstrate requisite knowledge skills. Students who feel they meet these criteria should consult their advisor.

Program Handbooks

Program advisor.

Peggy Brigman

Academic Advisor IV

View Directory Profile

Contact Faculty

Myeongsun Yoon

Associate Professor

Professor and Associate Department Head

Eunkyeng Baek

Assistant Professor

Christopher Thompson

Oi-Man Kwok

Paul Hernandez

Karen Rambo-Hernandez

Suzanna Ramos

Clinical Assistant Professor

Frequently Asked Questions

• Doctoral 10

List of Bachelor Degree Equivalencies

Please view a brief  List of Bachelor Degree Equivalencies by Country . If you do not find your country listed and are unsure of your degree equivalency, please contact the Office of Admissions at  [email protected] .

Can my Application fee be waived?

Yes. This fee may be waived only in exceptional cases for low-income applicants and McNair Scholars. To receive the waiver, you must submit an awards letter from your current school’s financial aid office showing the award of a Pell Grant. Your Student Aid Report (SAR) from a current FAFSA can also be submitted to show financial need. McNair Scholars must submit a letter from their McNair Program Director verifying their status as a McNair Scholar in good standing to receive the fee waiver. Submit this information to the Academic Affairs Business Office and include your major of interest and term of application. Waiver of application fee is not available for international students.

Statement of Purpose Essay

All applicants must complete the Essay, Statement of Purpose and explain the following:

• Why you applied to this program
• Academic background and training
• Potential for graduate study
• Research experience
• Other relevant professional experiences

I want/need a Graduate Assistantship/Fellowship – how do I apply?

Please note that we cannot guarantee any financial assistance to any student. We will contact all admitted students about the process for applying for all available assistantships. This is a separate process from applying for admission. The department and programs will choose students to be nominated for Graduate Diversity or Graduate Merit fellowships. These fellowships are only open to U.S. citizens. Please do not ask to be nominated for one of these fellowships as the program will determine which students are competitive for these awards.

How do is submit my letters of Recommendation?

The  GraduateCAS  online application includes a Recommendations section where you must add your recommenders’ information. Once you have saved the recommendation requests, GraduateCAS will contact each recommender via email to request the completion of the recommendation form and letter of recommendation. We require three letters of recommendations and they must be submitted directly by recommenders through the electronic system.

Is there an admissions cycle for Spring semester?

No. For our Ph.D. programs we only have admissions in fall semesters.

What are the typical program costs?

Check out the cost of attendance estimator.

Please note, you must update the program hours.

For a better understanding of your total cost of attendance (COA), please visit our cost and tuition rates webpage ( https://aggie.tamu.edu/billing-and-payments/cost-and-tuition-rates ). This webpage will provide you with an opportunity to review estimated COA information for undergraduate, graduate and professional students, as well as other resources such as the tuition calculator and billing and fee explanations.

Can you guide me through the application process?

How to Apply: Master’s Application Information | Doctoral Application Information

I live out of state. Do you accept out-of-state applicants?

Yes, we accept in-state and out-of-state applicants.

Is there any opportunity for financial assistance?

Yes, there are opportunities for financial assistance through the following departments: Office of Graduate Studies Financial Aid

Request Information

Can't find what you are looking for?

Ph.D. in Statistics

Our doctoral program in statistics gives future researchers preparation to teach and lead in academic and industry careers.

Program Description

Degree type.

approximately 5 years

The relatively new Ph.D. in Statistics strives to be an exemplar of graduate training in statistics. Students are exposed to cutting edge statistical methodology through the modern curriculum and have the opportunity to work with multiple faculty members to take a deeper dive into special topics, gain experience in working in interdisciplinary teams and learn research skills through flexible research electives. Graduates of our program are prepared to be leaders in statistics and machine learning in both academia and industry.

The Ph.D. in Statistics is expected to take approximately five years to complete, and students participate as full-time graduate students.  Some students are able to finish the program in four years, but all admitted students are guaranteed five years of financial support.  

Within our program, students learn from global leaders in statistics and data sciences and have:

20 credits of required courses in statistical theory and methods, computation, and applications

18 credits of research electives working with two or more faculty members, elective coursework (optional), and a guided reading course

Dissertation research

Coursework Timeline

Year 1: focus on core learning.

The first year consists of the core courses:

• SDS 384.2 Mathematical Statistics I
• SDS 383C Statistical Modeling I
• SDS 387 Linear Models
• SDS 384.11 Theoretical Statistics
• SDS 383D Statistical Modeling II
• SDS 386D Monte Carlo Methods

In addition to the core courses, students of the first year are expected to participate in SDS 190 Readings in Statistics. This class focuses on learning how to read scientific papers and how to grasp the main ideas, as well as on practicing presentations and getting familiar with important statistics literature.

At the end of the first year, students are expected to take a written preliminary exam. The examination has two purposes: to assess the student’s strengths and weaknesses and to determine whether the student should continue in the Ph.D. program. The exam covers the core material covered in the core courses and it consists of two parts: a 3-hour closed book in-class portion and a take-home applied statistics component. The in-class portion is scheduled at the end of the Spring Semester after final exams (usually late May). The take-home problem is distributed at the end of the in-class exam, with a due-time 24 hours later. 

Year 2: Transitioning from Student to Researcher

In the second year of the program, students take the following courses totaling 9 credit hours each semester:

• Required: SDS 190 Readings in Statistics (1 credit hour)
• Required: SDS 389/489 Research Elective* (3 or 4 credit hours) in which the student engages in independent research under the guidance of a member of the Statistics Graduate Studies Committee
• One or more elective courses selected from approved electives ; and/or
• One or more sections of SDS 289/389/489 Research Elective* (2 to 4 credit hours) in which the student engages in independent research with a member(s) of the Statistics Graduate Studies Committee OR guided readings/self-study in an area of statistics or machine learning. 
• Internship course (0 or 1 credit hour; for international students to obtain Curricular Practical Training; contact Graduate Coordinator for appropriate course options)
• GRS 097 Teaching Assistant Fundamentals or NSC 088L Introduction to Evidence-Based Teaching (0 credit hours; for TA and AI preparation)

* Research electives allow students to explore different advising possibilities by working for a semester with a particular professor. These projects can also serve as the beginning of a dissertation research path. No more than six credit hours of research electives can be taken with a single faculty member in a semester.

Year 3: Advance to Candidacy

Students are encouraged to attend conferences, give presentations, as well as to develop their dissertation research. At the end of the second year or during their third year, students are expected to present their plan of study for the dissertation in an Oral candidacy exam. During this exam, students should demonstrate their research proficiency to their Ph.D. committee members. Students who successfully complete the candidacy exam can apply for admission to candidacy for the Ph.D. once they have completed their required coursework and satisfied departmental requirements. The steps to advance to candidacy are:

• Discuss potential candidacy exam topics with advisor
• Propose Ph.D. committee: the proposed committee must follow the Graduate School and departmental regulations on committee membership for what will become the Ph.D. Dissertation Committee
•   Application for candidacy

Year 4+: Dissertation Completion and Defense

Students are encouraged to attend conferences, give presentations, as well as to develop their dissertation research. Moreover, they are expected to present part of their work in the framework of the department's Ph.D. poster session.

Students who are admitted to candidacy will be expected to complete and defend their Ph.D. thesis before their Ph.D. committee to be awarded the degree. The final examination, which is oral, is administered only after all coursework, research and dissertation requirements have been fulfilled. It is expected that students will be prepared to defend by the end of their fifth year in the doctoral program.

General Information and Expectations for All Ph.D. students

• 2023-24 Student Handbook
• Annual Review At the end of every year (due May 1), students are expected to fill out the Annual Progress Review . 
• Seminar Series All students are expected to attend the SDS Seminar Series
• SDS 189R Course Description (when taken for internship)
• Internship Course Registration form
• Intel Corporation
• Berry Consultants

Attending Conferences 

Students are encouraged to attend conferences to share their work. All research-related travel while in student status require prior authorization.

• Request for Travel Authorization (both domestic and international travel)
• Request for Authorization for International Travel  

Texas A&M University Catalogs

Master of science in statistical data science.

The Master of Science (MS) in Statistical Data Science offers two options in its degree programs:

• The MS (thesis option) requires the preparation of a thesis
• The MS (non-thesis option) requires more formal coursework in lieu of the thesis

Both programs provide comprehensive and balanced training in statistical methods, computational statistics and statistical theory to prepare the student for any intriguing career and further study in statistics.

This program is also approved for delivery via asynchronous distance education technology.

Steps to Fulfill a Masters Program

Program Requirements

• Student's Advisory Committee

Degree Plan

• Credit Requirements

Transfer of Credit

Limitations on the use of transfer, extension and certain other courses, thesis proposal, final examination/thesis defense, non-thesis option, student’s advisory committee.

On-Campus and Distance Education

After receiving admission to graduate studies and enrolling for coursework, the student will consult with the head of his or her major or administrative department (or intercollegiate faculty, if applicable) concerning appointment of the chair of his or her advisory  committee. The student’s advisory committee for the MS degree will consist of  a committee chair. The chair  of the advisory committee must be from the student’s major department.

If the chair of a student’s advisory committee voluntarily leaves the University and the student is near completion of the degree and wants the chair to continue to serve in this role, the student is responsible for securing a current member of the University Graduate Faculty, from the student’s academic program and located near the Texas A&M University campus site, to serve as the co-chair of the committee. The Department Head or Chair of Intercollegiate faculty may request in writing to the Associate Provost and Dean of the Graduate and Professional School that a faculty member who is on an approved leave of absence or has voluntarily separated from the university, be allowed to continue to serve in the role of chair of a student’s advisory committee without a co-chair for us to one year. The students should be near completion of the degree. Extensions beyond the one year period can be granted with additional approval of the Dean.

If the chair of the student’s advisory committee is unavailable for an extended time in any academic period during which the student is involved in activities relating to an internship, thesis or professional paper, and is registered for courses such as 684, 691, 692 or 693, the student may request, in writing, that the department head appoint an alternate advisory committee chair during the interim period.

The duties of the committee chair include responsibility for the proposed degree plan and the final presentation. In addition, the committee chair is responsible for advising the student on academic matters, and, in the case of academic deficiency, initiating recommendations to the Graduate and Professional School.

The committee chair's approval on the degree plan indicate the chair's willingness to accept the responsibility for guiding and directing the entire academic program of the student and for initiating all academic actions concerning the student. 

The distance education modality requires the committee chair to be comprised by the designated coordinator of the distance education in the Department of Statistics and the Department Head of the Department of Statistics.

The student’s advisory committee, in consultation with the student, will develop the proposed degree plan. The degree plan must be completed and filed with the Graduate and Professional School prior to the deadline imposed by the student’s college or interdisciplinary degree program, if applicable, and no later than 90 days prior to the date of the final oral examination or thesis defense.

A student should submit the degree plan using the online  Document Processing Submission System .

A student submitting a proposed degree plan for a Master of Science degree should designate on the official degree plan the appropriate program option.

Additional coursework may be added to the approved degree plan by petition if it is deemed necessary by the advisory committee to correct deficiencies in the student’s academic preparation. No changes can be made to the degree plan once the student’s Request for Final Examination or Request for Final Examination Exemption is approved by the Graduate and Professional School.

Credit Requirement

A minimum of 32 semester credit hours of approved courses and research is required for the thesis option Master of Science degree.

A minimum of 36 semester credit hours of approved coursework is required for the Non-Thesis Option.

Ordinarily the student will devote the major portion of his or her time to work in one or two closely related fields. Other work will be in supporting fields of interest.

A student who has earned 12 hours of graduate credit in residence at Texas A&M University may be authorized to transfer courses in excess of the limits prescribed below upon the advice of the advisory committee and with the approval of the Graduate and Professional School. Courses taken in residence at an accredited U.S. institution or approved international institution with a final grade of B or greater may be considered for transfer credit if, at the time the courses were completed, the courses would be accepted for credit toward a similar degree for a student in degree-seeking status at the host institution. Otherwise, the limitations stated in the following section apply. Coursework in which no formal grades are given or in which grades other than letter grades (A or B) are earned (for example, CR, P, S, U, H, etc.) is not accepted for transfer credit. Courses appearing on the degree plan with grades of D, F or U may not be absolved by transfer work. Credit for thesis research or the equivalent is not transferable. Credit for coursework submitted for transfer from any college or university must be shown in semester credit hours or equated to semester credit hours. An official transcript from the university at which the transfer coursework was taken must be sent directly to the Office of Admissions.

Courses used toward a degree at another institution may not be applied for graduate credit. If the course to be transferred was taken prior to the conferral of a degree at the transfer institution, a letter from the registrar at that institution stating that the course was not applied for credit toward the degree must be submitted to the Graduate and Professional School.

Grades for courses completed at other institutions are not included in computing the GPA.

Some departments may have more restrictive requirements for transfer work. If otherwise acceptable, certain courses may be used toward meeting credit-hour requirements for the master’s degree under the following limitations.

• Graduate and/or upper-level undergraduate courses taken in residence at an accredited U.S. institution, or approved international institution with a final grade of B or greater will be considered for transfer credit if, at the time the courses were completed, the student was in degree-seeking status at Texas A&M University, or the student was in degree-seeking status at the institution at which the courses were taken; and if the courses would be accepted for credit toward a similar degree for a student in degree-seeking status at the host institution.
• Courses previously used for another degree are not acceptable for degree plan credit.
• The maximum number of credit hours taken in post-baccalaureate non-degree (G6) classification at Texas A&M University which may be considered for application to the degree plan is 12.
• A zero credit 684 or 685 course is only allowed for non-thesis option master's students. A zero credit 681 course can be used for either thesis or non-thesis option master’s students. Other courses, including 691 research hours, are not eligible for zero credit.
• Not more than 8 hours in the combination of 691 (research), 684 (Professional Internship) or  may be used.
• Not more than 8 hours of 685 (Directed Studies) may be used.
• Not more than 3 hours of 690 (Theory of Research) may be used.
• Not more than 3 hours of 695 (Frontiers in Research) may be used.
• A maximum of 2 hours of Seminar (681).
• A maximum of 9 hours of advanced undergraduate courses (300- or 400-level).
• For graduate courses of three weeks’ duration or less, taken at other institutions, up to 1 hour of credit may be obtained for each five-day week of coursework. Each week of coursework must include at least 15 contact hours.
• Continuing education courses may not be used for graduate credit.
• Extension courses are not acceptable for credit.

For non-distance degree programs, no more than 50 percent of the credit hours required for the program may be completed through distance education courses.

To receive a graduate degree from Texas A&M University, students must earn one-third or more of the credits through the institution’s own direct instruction. This limitation also applies to joint degree programs. 

Exceptions will be permitted only in unusual cases and when petitioned by the student’s advisory committee and approved by the Graduate and Professional School.

Thesis Option

An acceptable thesis is required for the Master of Science degree for a student who selects the thesis option program. The finished work must reflect a comprehensive understanding of the pertinent literature and express in clear English, the problem(s) for study, the method, significance and results of the student’s original research. Guidelines for the preparation of the thesis are available in the  Thesis Manual , which is available online at the   Graduate and Professional School  website.

After successful defense (or exemption) and approval by the student’s advisory committee and the head of the student’s major department (or chair of the intercollegiate faculty, if appropriate), the student must submit his/her thesis in electronic format as a single PDF file. The PDF file must be uploaded to the  Graduate and Professional School  website. Additionally, a signed paper approval form with original signatures must be received by the Graduate and Professional School. The PDF file and the signed approval form are required by the deadline.

Deadline dates for submitting the thesis are announced each semester or summer term in the “Graduate and Professional School Calendar” (see Time Limit statement). These dates also can be accessed via the  Graduate and Professional School  website.

Each student who submits a document for review is assessed a one-time thesis/dissertation processing fee through Student Business Services. This processing fee is for the thesis/dissertation services provided. After commencement, theses and dissertations are digitally stored and made available through the Texas A&M Libraries.

A thesis that is deemed unacceptable by the Graduate and Professional School because of excessive corrections will be returned to the student’s department head (or chair of the intercollegiate faculty, if applicable) . The manuscript must be resubmitted as a new document, and the entire review process must begin again. All original submittal deadlines must be met during the resubmittal process to graduate that semester.

For the thesis option Master of Science degree, the student must prepare a thesis proposal for approval by the advisory committee and the head of the major department or chair of the interdisciplinary faculty, if applicable. This proposal must be submitted to the Graduate and Professional School at least 20 working days prior to the submission of the request for the final examination.

Compliance issues must be addressed if a graduate student is performing research involving human subjects, animals, infectious biohazards and recombinant DNA. A student involved in these types of research should check with the Office of Research Compliance and Biosafety at (979) 458-1467 to address questions about all research compliance responsibilities. Additional information can also be obtained on the  Office of Research Compliance and Biosafety  website.

A student must pass a final examination by dates announced each semester or summer term in the Graduate and Professional School Calendar.  To be eligible to take the final examination, a student’s GPA must be at least 3.000 for courses on the degree plan and for all courses completed at Texas A&M which are eligible to be applied to a graduate degree, and there must be no unabsolved grades of D, F or U for any course listed on the degree plan. To absolve a deficient grade, the student must repeat the course at Texas A&M University and achieve a grade of C or better. All coursework on the degree plan must have been completed with the exception of those hours for which the student is registered. For thesis-option students, an approved thesis proposal must be on file in the Graduate and Professional School according to published deadlines prior to the final examination or submission of the request for exemption from the final examination.

A request to hold and announce the final examination must be submitted to the Graduate and Professional School a minimum of 10 working days in advance of the scheduled date for the examination. The Graduate and Professional School must be notified in writing of any cancellations. A student may be given only one opportunity to repeat the final examination for the master’s degree and that must be within a time period that does not extend beyond the end of the next regular semester (summer terms are excluded).

For thesis option students, the final examination covers the thesis and all work taken on the degree plan and at the option of the committee may be written or oral or both. The final examination may not be administered before the thesis is available to all members of the student’s advisory committee in substantially final form, and all members have had adequate time to review the document. The examination is conducted by the student’s advisory committee as finally constituted. A thesis option student must be registered in the University in the semester or summer term in which the final examination is taken. Persons other than members of the graduate faculty may, with mutual consent of the candidate and the major professor, attend final examinations for advanced degrees. Upon completion of the questioning of the candidate, all visitors must excuse themselves from the proceedings. A positive vote by all members of the graduate committee with at most one dissension is required to pass a student on his or her exam. A department, or interdisciplinary degree program, may have a stricter requirement provided there is consistency within all degree programs within a department or interdisciplinary degree program.

The Report of the Final Examination Form must be submitted with original signatures of only the committee members approved by the Graduate and Professional School. If an approved committee member substitution (1 only) has been made, his/her signature must also be submitted to the Graduate and Professional School. If necessary, multiple copies of the form may be submitted with different committee member original signatures. If an approved committee member substitution (1 only) has been made, his/her signature must be included on the form submitted to the Graduate and Professional School.

A thesis option candidate may petition to be exempt from his/her final examination provided his/her degree plan GPA is 3.500 or greater and he/she has the approval of the advisory committee, the head of the student’s major department, or intercollegiate chair, if appropriate, and the Graduate and Professional School. It is required that the petition for exemption be submitted the same semester the student intends to submit the thesis.

For non-thesis option students, a final comprehensive examination is not required.

A student pursuing the non-thesis option is not allowed to enroll in 691 (research) for any reason and 691 may not be used for credit toward a non-thesis option Master of Science degree. A maximum of 4 credit hours of 684 (Professional Internship), 8 credit hours of 685 (Directed Studies), and up to 3 credit hours of 690 (Theory of Research) or 695 (Frontiers in Research) may be used toward the non-thesis option Master of Science degree. In addition, any combination of 684, 685, 690 and 695 may not exceed 25 percent of the total credit hour requirement shown on the individual degree plan. All requirements for the non-thesis option Master of Science degree other than those specified above are the same as for the thesis option degree.

The department head or the chair of an intercollegiate faculty (if appropriate) for the program may approve an exception for a PhD student who changes to a non-thesis option MS degree program after at least one year of PhD studies to use 691 credits toward a non-thesis option Master of Science degree. The department head or chair of an intercollegiate faculty (if appropriate) for the program may approve an exception for a master’s student who changes from a MS thesis option degree to a MS non-thesis option degree program to use 691 credits toward a non-thesis option Master of Science degree. In both cases, the student is allowed to use a maximum of 8 credit hours of 685 and 691 combined. Departments, Colleges, and Interdisciplinary Degree Programs may opt to establish higher standards. Further any combination of 684, 685, 690, 691 and 695 may not exceed 25 percent of the total credit hour requirement shown on the individual degree plan. All requirements for the non-thesis option Master of Science degree other than those specified above are the same as for the thesis option degree.

Additional Requirements

Continuous registration, foreign languages, application for degree.

In partial fulfillment of the residence requirement for the degree of Master of Science, the student must complete 9 resident credit hours during one regular semester or one 10-week summer semester in resident study at Texas A&M University. Upon recommendation of the student’s advisory committee, department head or Chair of the Interdisciplinary Program, if appropriate, and with approval of the Graduate and Professional School, a student may be granted exemption from this requirement. Such a petition, however, must be approved prior to the student’s registration for the final 9 credit hours of required coursework.

Students who are employed full-time while completing their degree may fulfill total residence requirements by completion of less-than-full time course loads each semester. In order to be considered for this, the student is required to submit a Petition for Waivers and Exceptions along with verification of his/her employment to the Graduate and Professional School.

Distance Education

The Distance Education modality does not have any residence requirements.

See  Residence Requirements .

A student in the thesis option of the Master of Science program who has completed all coursework on his/her degree plan other than 691 (research) is required to be in continuous registration until all requirements for the degree have been completed. See  Continuous Registration Requirements .

All degree requirements must be completed within a period of seven consecutive years for the degree to be granted. A course will be considered valid until seven years after the end of the semester in which it is taken. Graduate credit for coursework which is more than seven calendar years old at the time of the final examination (oral or written) may not be used to satisfy degree requirements.

A student who has chosen the thesis option must have the final corrected copies of the thesis cleared by the Graduate and Professional School within one year of the semester in which the final exam is taken, or a  final exam exemption petition was approved. Exams taken in between terms will expire at the end of the term that ended prior to the exam. For example, a final exam taken and passed during the fall 2022 semester will expire at the end of the fall 2023 semester. A final exam  taken in the time between the summer and fall 2022 semesters will expire at the end of the summer 2023 semester.

No specific language requirement exists for the Master of Science degree.

For information on applying for your degree, please visit the  Graduation  section.