Academic Degrees Conferred

The Graduate College at East Stroudsburg University offers graduate programs that prepare students for a complex, changing global society, with four master’s degree designations – Master of Arts, (M.A.), Master of Education (M.Ed.), Master of Public Health (M.P.H.), and Master of Science, (M.S.) – in more than 20 academic majors or fields of study.

The master’s degree programs traverse each of the university’s four colleges – College of Arts and Sciences, College of Business and Management, College of Education, and College of Health Sciences.

Credit Requirements

Most M.A., M.Ed., and M.S. degree programs require 30 to 36 credit hours of coursework beyond the baccalaureate level; however, the number of credit hours required for the master’s degree varies with the type of degree and whether the student is required to write a thesis.

Some clinically-based Master of Science (M.S.) programs, and professional master’s degrees, such as the Master of Public Heath (M.P.H.), require 42 credit hours or more. Many of these degrees, however, do not require the student to complete a thesis.

Academic Major and Concentration

The academic major represents the sequence of courses and experiences constituting the major field of study and culminating in the master’s degree. Some academic majors or programs of study offer the student the opportunity to select a concentration (e.g., focused area of study, track, specialization, emphasis) within the major field.

Program Option

Many of ESU's master’s degree programs offer the student the opportunity to select a program option, typically a thesis or non-thesis option.

Admission to Candidacy

All master’s degree students who received an admission decision of Admission, Pre-Candidacy are expected to submit a Plan of Study before the completion of 12 credit hours.

Subsequent to submission of the Plan of Study, students are reviewed for Admission to Candidacy. To be admitted to candidacy, a student must be in Academic Good Standing and have fulfilled any requirements stated by the department or graduate dean.

Master’s degree students who received an admission decision of Admission, with Conditions must first fulfill all conditions, as stated on the admission decision letter, and have their status upgraded to Admission, Pre-Candidacy in order to be reviewed for Admission to Candidacy.

A master’s degree candidate must remain in academic good standing in order to be eligible to graduate.

In-Residence and Transfer Credits

Individual graduate programs at ESU may establish requirements for credits taken "in residence" and transfer credits, allowing up to one-third of the credits meeting program requirements to be accepted as transfer credits. Graduate programs that wish to allow the acceptance of more than six transfer credits, up to one-third of the credits meeting program requirements, must follow the process for approval of program requirements/transfer credits to set the higher limit of transfer credits for the program.

Transfer credits must have been completed at a regionally accredited institution, within the past six years, and the grade earned must be at least a "B" or its equivalent. Also, the credits must not have been utilized to fulfill requirements for a degree earned at that institution. Transfer credits must be approved and incorporated in the Plan of Study.

Culminating Experiences

All master’s degree programs at ESU require a culminating experience. This requirement may be met through a thesis, research project, or comprehensive examination, or in some cases this requirement can be met through integrative experiences, such as practicum, internships, and other field work that synthesize theory and practice.

The Graduate College outlines the process and timeline for all culminating experiences. Failure to adhere to guidelines may delay a student's graduation.

Application for Graduation

All candidates for the master’s degree are required to submit a complete and approved Application for Graduation during the semester in which program completion and graduation are anticipated, as follows:

Statute of Limitations

All program requirements for a master’s degree, including program credits earned or accepted by transfer, examinations, internships or field experiences, and research requirements must be completed within six years from the date of initial registration in the program. A leave of absence may be requested for professional or personal reasons; the time during the leave of absence does not count toward the maximum timeframe for completing degree requirements. An extension to the statute of limitation for program completion may be requested; the extension must be submitted and fully approved by the graduate dean before the expiration of the six-year maximum timeframe.