The Department offers three program plans (designated A, B, and C). The choice of plans is usually made at the beginning of the first semester. A petition for a change of plans, which requires Graduate Division approval, should be made by the end of the second semester.
Plan A, the thesis plan, consists of 36 credits, of which 6 are allotted to thesis research and 30 to course work. The course work consists of a 15-credit core and 5 courses (15 credits) of electives.
Plan B, the non-thesis plan, consists of 36 credits of course work, a 15-credit core plus 7 electives (21 credits). A scholarly paper is also required. (See section below)
Plan C is a special program which is individually planned for each student, without the usual course requirements. Plan C students take a qualifying examination (written) and a final examination (written and oral). A Plan C scholarly paper is required. Admissibility to Plan C is determined in the student's first semester and requires a personal interview with a committee of SLS faculty. Plan C applicants must also meet the following minimum conditions: 1) A minimum of five years of full-time experience working in the field of second language or foreign language education; 2) At least two years of administrative, teacher training, or materials development responsibility; 3) An outstanding academic record and a high performance on the GRE. Only a few students have completed the M.A degree via Plan C.