Non-Thesis Routes

There are several options for a Masters degree besides the thesis route. We offer course-based masters degrees, as well as masters degrees that require students to complete a project or report rather than a thesis. In some areas such as Media, Art, and Performance (MAP), the masters of fine arts program is based in an art practice which culminates in an exhibition, recital, performance, film screening, digital media project, installation, or curation, among others. More applied areas have a master practicum or internship route.

Students choosing the routes listed below must submit either a comprehensive paper or report.

• Exhibition/Recital or Performance/Event Options: Visual Arts,  Music, Film, Theatre, Interdisciplinary Studies
• Project/Report Options: Business Administration, Computer Science,  Education,  Engineering,  Social Work
• Practica/Internship Options

As the credit assigned to these options is significantly less than that for a thesis, the length of the document should reflect this distinction. Students in these routes must follow the same registration regulations as thesis-based students. For example, they must be registered in the term that they defend, and they have until the end of the following semester to submit their final corrected paper or report.

Individual Departments offering an non-thesis route have more details about their programs.