Degree Requirements

University-wide Requirements

In order to receive a master’s degree from UTSA, the following minimum requirements must be met:

  1. The student must be admitted as a graduate degree-seeking ­student for the degree sought.
  2. The student must complete the minimum number of semester credit hours required for the degree. All master’s degrees require a minimum of 30 semester credit hours.
  3. The student must remove all conditions of admission, if any were assigned at the time of admission.
  4. Subject to the six-year time limitation, the student must ­satisfactorily complete all coursework as specified in his or her discipline’s program of study, and, if Option I is selected, must satisfactorily complete the thesis as outlined in the Options for Master’s Degrees section of this chapter.
  5. The student must formally apply for the degree in the Office of the Registrar no later than the deadline for the semester in which he or she intends to graduate (for deadlines, see the online registration calendar).
  6. The student must satisfactorily complete the comprehensive examination, except as provided by the M.B.A. degree and Master of Accountancy, M.S. in Business, M.S. in Data Analytics, M.S. in Information Technology, and Master of Social Work.
  7. The student must meet the grade point average requirement of 3.0 or higher (on a 4.0 scale) in all work counted as part of the degree program.
  8. No courses in which grades of less than “C” (below 2.0 on a 4.0 scale) were earned may be applied to a graduate degree, nor may courses for which the grade of “CR” was earned by examination be applied to minimum degree requirements. Credit for selected internships and practica in which a grade of “CR” was earned may be applied to minimum degree requirements upon approval of the Graduate Program Committee.
  9. To graduate, all graduate students must have an overall grade point average of at least a 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale).
  10. The majority of graduate coursework for a master’s program must be completed at UTSA.

Detailed descriptions of each of the above requirements are included in Student Policies.

Comprehensive Examination

A candidate for a thesis or non-thesis master’s degree must, in addition to other requirements, pass (according to department standards) the comprehensive examination, which may be oral, written, or both. Additionally, some programs may allow the successful completion of a thesis to fulfill the comprehensive examination requirement. Thesis candidates should discuss comprehensive examination options with their supervising professor.

Students must be registered during any semester or term in which they are taking required examinations. If registered for no other courses, students must be enrolled in 6961, Comprehensive Examination. The comprehensive examination can only be taken twice. Students who have not successfully completed the comprehensive exam after the second attempt will be dismissed. Please see the Academic Standing section in UTSA Student Policies for further details.

To satisfy the comprehensive examination requirement, candidates for the M.B.A. degree are required to complete MBA 5613 Strategic Management and Policy with a grade of “B” (3.0) or better, candidates for the M.S. in Business degree are required to complete MGT 5903 Strategic Management and Policy with a grade of “B” (3.0) or better, candidates for the M.S. in Data Analytics are required to complete DA 6833 Data Analytics Practicum II with a grade of “B” (3.0) or better,  candidates for the M.S. in Information Technology are required to complete IS 6813 Strategic Management of Information Technology with a grade of “B” (3.0) or better, students who earn an average of 3.0 or higher in the combination of ACC 5163 Ethics and Accountant's Professional Responsibility, ACC 6013 Financial Accounting Theory, and ACC 5863 Advanced Financial Accounting will satisfy the comprehensive examination requirement for the MACY degree, and candidates for the Master of Social Work degree are required to complete SWK 5433 Specialized Field Practicum IV and Integrative Seminar with a grade of “B” (3.0) or better.

Comprehensive examinations are given only to those students who have complied with the following requirements:

  1. Completion of all conditions of admission, if any were assigned at the time of admission.
  2. Completion of all special admission requirements for the degree program, if any.
  3. Be in good academic standing.
  4. Have an acceptable program of study in the discipline in which the degree is sought.
  5. If a thesis is to be written, selection of supervising professor and thesis committee and acceptance of thesis topic.
  6. Enrollment in 6961, Comprehensive Examination, in the semester the comprehensive examination is taken, if registered for no other courses that semester.

Supervising Committee

Each comprehensive examination is developed, administered, and scored under the guidance of a supervising committee with two or more members, one of whom is designated as chair. The chair must be a member of the Graduate Faculty in the major area of study.

In general, all committee members must be members of the Graduate Faculty in the major area of study. Occasionally, scholars who hold nontenured or tenure-track faculty appointments at the University, such as research professors or adjunct faculty members, or off-­campus scholars, are appointed because their expertise would be valuable to the student. The composition of the committee is subject to approval by the Dean of the Graduate School.

The supervising committee is responsible for the quality, depth, and balance of the comprehensive examination.

Options for Master’s Degrees

Two options are available for most master’s degree programs. Refer to specific program requirements in the Graduate Catalog, Table of Contents, to determine whether a program offers both options.

Thesis Option (Option I)

The candidate for a master’s degree under Option I must complete the required number of semester credit hours in coursework approved by the appropriate Graduate Program Committee, ­including 6 semester credit hours for a thesis. The thesis is subject to approval by the student’s program advisor, Thesis Committee, graduate advisor, and the Dean of the Graduate School.

No more than 6 semester credit hours of thesis can be applied toward a master’s degree.

Students receiving advice and assistance from a faculty member in the preparation of a thesis must enroll in the appropriate thesis course (if necessary, for multiple semesters) until final submission is approved by the Dean of the Graduate School.

Requirements for Thesis

The following steps for completing a thesis as part of a master’s degree are the responsibility of each degree candidate selecting Option I:

  1. Secure the approval of the supervising professor, who is also Chair of the Thesis Committee. Upon recommendation of the Graduate Program Committee and the academic College, the Graduate School appoints the Thesis Committee. The Thesis Committee consists of the Thesis Chair and two additional members of the Graduate Faculty. The chair of the Thesis Committee must be a member of the Graduate Faculty for that graduate program. A majority of the thesis committee must consist of graduate faculty or adjoint faculty in the student's program. For interdisciplinary committees, the chair of the committee may be a graduate faculty member from another program and/or the committee may consist of half of graduate faculty members from outside the student’s program, upon approval of the Associate Dean of the College and Dean of the Graduate School. Changes to the Thesis Committee require documentation to be signed by the Department Chair, the Associate Dean of the College, and the Dean of the Graduate School and must be received by the Graduate School. The student is expected to work closely with the Thesis Chair in selecting the thesis topic and in completing other details of their study.
  2. Submit a preliminary draft for approval by the Thesis Chair no later than 45 calendar days before final examinations of the semester in which the degree is to be awarded. The first draft should demonstrate the student’s understanding of the preparation guidelines and the University's required formatting; it is understood the text is still being modified.
  3. Secure approval of the draft by the Thesis Committee. This step is intended to ensure that the thesis meets the required standards for content, expression, format, spelling, and accuracy. Candidates are responsible for meeting the standards of those reading and approving the thesis.
  4. Submit the final copy of the thesis to the supervising professor and Thesis Committee no later than 20 calendar days before final examinations of the semester in which the degree is to be awarded. This copy of the thesis must be the original.
  5. The format of the thesis must follow University regulations. The detailed requirements of thesis formatting guidelines and deadlines are available on the Graduate School’s website at http://graduateschool.utsa.edu. The final submission must conform with both the Guide for the Preparation of a Master’s Thesis and Format Template at the time of submission to the Graduate School.
  6. The final copy must be electronically submitted to ProQuest/UMI for both publishing and purchasing bound copies. Copyright is optional and may be arranged by the student and will be at their expense. 
  7. Copies of theses and dissertations are available to the general public through both the UTSA Library and ProQuest/UMI.
  8. Acceptance of the thesis requires final approval from the Dean of the Graduate School.

Thesis in a Foreign Language

Theses are normally written in English. Petitions to write in another language pertinent to the research must be submitted to the Graduate Program Committee when the student enrolls in a thesis course. See Graduate Advisor before registering for thesis hours. Petition must be approved by the Graduate Program Committee, academic Dean, and Dean of the Graduate School.

Non-Thesis Option (Option II)

For a master’s degree under Option II, a student can meet requirements without writing a thesis. Instead, the student is required to complete a program of coursework, as indicated by specific program requirements in the Graduate Catalog, Table of Contents, approved by the Graduate Program Committee.

Thesis credits may not be applied to the program of coursework for a master’s degree under Option II.

At the beginning of the student’s master’s degree program, they should, in consultation with their program advisor, select the option most suitable to their needs. Should a student elect to change options, they should consult with the program advisor.

Limitation on Repeating Courses for Credit

Many independent study, thesis, special problems, special topics, directed research, seminar, dissertation, and other similar courses may be repeated for credit; however, limitations exist on the number of semester credit hours that may be applied toward a degree. Refer to the individual course descriptions for specific details on these limitations and consult the appropriate graduate advisor.

Additional Master’s Degrees

A student who holds a master’s or higher degree may pursue an additional master’s degree at UTSA only under the following conditions:

  1. The additional master’s degree opens up an additional area, field, or concentration.
  2. The proposed second master’s degree is approved by the appropriate Graduate Program Committee, academic Dean and the Dean of the Graduate School.

It should be further understood that:

  1. The same courses cannot be applied toward two different degrees,​ except as prescribed by a dual degree program.
  2. Credit applied to a previous degree at another institution which duplicates a portion of the program required under the second degree being sought at UTSA does not reduce the number of semester credit hours required for that second degree. (The only exception is the M.F.A. degree. See Courses Counted for Another Degree under Course Types and Acceptability in the Transfer of Credit section of this chapter.) Courses already taken would not be required. Rather, additional coursework would be substituted for previously completed courses.