M.S. students may choose either a thesis or non-thesis option. The thesis option requires a minimum of 30 credit hours and the non-thesis option requires 33 credit hours. Full-time M.S. students normally complete their degree requirements in four semesters. Part-time M.S. students are encouraged to take two courses per semester.

Thesis Option

Each student electing the thesis option will be assigned a Thesis Committee, chaired by the student's major advisor, which will be responsible for ensuring that the student fulfills all requirements of the IMS program, as well as other campus requirements, including presentation of a thesis defense, consisting of a public lecture on the thesis, and a subsequent oral examination by the Thesis Committee. A student's committee is chaired by the student's major advisor and guides the student's research. Committee members may be selected from IMS faculty, other departments, and other institutions. All committees must include at least one IMS faculty member from a campus other than the campus where the student resides.

The M.S. program requires a minimum of 30 credit hours with the thesis option.  Students are required to take three core courses (9 credits) and choose additional courses (15 credits minimum) appropriate to a selected area of concentration. Attendance at a weekly seminar series is required (2 credits total, included in the above 15) and each student must present at least one seminar in their third or fourth semester. It is also required that students apply a minimum of 6 credit hours toward thesis research. The student must achieve an overall average of 3.0 in the M.S. degree program. Full-time M.S. students normally complete their degree requirements in four semesters. Part-time M.S. students are encouraged to take two courses per semester.

Non-Thesis Option

Each student electing the non-thesis option, in addition to an additional 3 credits, must complete a substantial research paper that must be read and approved by the major advisor and at least one other faculty member. The M.S. program requires a minimum of 33 credit hours with the non-thesis option.  Students are required to take three core courses (9 credits) and choose additional courses (22 credits minimum) appropriate to a selected area of concentration.

Attendance at a weekly seminar series is required (1 credit each for two semesters) and each student must present at least one seminar in their third or fourth semester. Full-time M.S. students normally complete their degree requirements in four semesters. The student must achieve an overall average of 3.0 in the M.S. degree program.