Requirements for the MA Degree
The degree of Master of Arts (MA) is conferred upon students who complete a total of two Residence Units (with additional semesters of Extended Residence, if applicable) and all academic requirements specified by their program.
Exception: Students entering the following free-standing MA programs in Fall 2016 or later register for a full or fractional Residence Unit following the rules listed here. Students who entered these programs in Spring 2016 or earlier register only for individual courses and do NOT register for Residence Units.
- American Studies
- European History, Politics and Society
- Human Rights Studies
- Islamic Studies
- Jewish Studies
- Medieval and Renaissance Studies
- South Asian Studies
To receive the degree, students in all MA programs are required to hold a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.00, and to complete all coursework and receive letter grades replacing all marks of Incomplete (IN) or Credit Pending (CP), whether or not the course is required for the degree.
Departmental deadlines more stringent than those of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences supersede those of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.
Once all requirements have been completed, the student must apply for graduation in order to receive the MA degree. Degrees are awarded three times a year—in October, February, and May—and each degree conferral date has a corresponding application deadline.