Master of Arts (M.A.) Major in International Studies (Thesis Option)

Program Overview

The Master of Arts (M.A.) with a major in International Studies is an interdisciplinary program that prepares students for work and leadership in an interdependent world. Through training in area studies, technology information training, oral and written communication skills, and business acumen, the program aims to develop leaders for business, government, military, education, non-profit organizations, and international institutions that are collectively facing an increasingly interdependent world where cultural diversity is a reality and the need to appreciate and value such heterogeneity is a prerequisite to global peace and prosperity.

Paul D. Coverdell Fellows Program

The Coverdell Fellowship Program for returned Peace Corps volunteers is currently available for returned volunteers pursuing the master's degree in International Studies at the Center for International Studies.

Financial Assistance

A limited number of fellowships and scholarships are available to qualified graduate students. Departmental fellowships and scholarships are listed on the Center for International Studies website: http://www.txstate.edu/internationalstudies. The Graduate College can provide further information about scholarships.

Application Requirements

The items listed below are required for admission consideration for applicable semesters of entry during the current academic year. Submission instructions, additional details, and changes to admission requirements for semesters other than the current academic year can be found on The Graduate College's website. International students should review the International Admission Documents page for additional requirements.

• completed online application
• $55 nonrefundable application fee

          or

• $90 nonrefundable application fee for applications with international credentials
• baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited university
• official transcripts from each institution where course credit was granted. (Non-U.S. degrees must be equivalent to a four-year U.S. Bachelor’s degree. In most cases, three-year degrees are not considered. Visit our International FAQs for more information.)
• a 3.0 overall GPA or a 3.0 GPA in the last 60 hours of undergraduate course work (plus any completed graduate courses)*
• proficiency in the speaking, reading, and oral comprehension of a modern language other than English as demonstrated by the following:
  • grade of B or better in modern language course work beyond the second year that was taken within the last three years at an accredited college, university, or language institute.
  • examination for proficiency levels in reading, speaking, and listening that would place the student beyond the second year of language courses*
  • recent foreign living experience of at least six continuous months in a single non-English-speaking culture outside the U.S.
• GRE not required*
• resume/CV 
• statement of purpose (2–5 pages) describing the following:
  • the reasons for considering the international studies program
  • how it fits into a process of professional development
  • what the student hopes to accomplish by enrolling in the program
• three letters of recommendation from professors

Coverdell Applicants Requirements

• completed online application
• baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited university. (Non-U.S. degrees must be equivalent to a four-year U.S. Bachelor’s degree. In most cases, three-year degrees are not considered. Visit our International FAQs for more information.)
• official transcripts from each institution where course credit was granted
• a 3.0 overall GPA or a 3.0 GPA in the last 60 hours of undergraduate course work (plus any completed graduate courses)*
• background course work: a passing grade in at least 6 hours in introductory (principles of) microeconomics  and macroeconomics courses (can be taken prior to the start of the program or concurrently with first year courses) at a regionally accredited college of university
• proficiency in the speaking, reading, and oral comprehension of a modern language other than English as demonstrated by the following:
  • grade of B or better in modern language course work beyond the second year that was taken within the last three years at an accredited college, university, or language institute
  • examination of proficiency levels in reading, speaking, and listening that would place the student beyond the second year of language courses*
  • recent foreign living experience of at least 6 continuous months in a single non-English-speaking culture outside the U.S.
• GRE not required*
• official Peace Corps description of service (application fees will be waived upon receipt) 
• resume/CV listing Peace Corps Service
• statement of purpose (2–5 pages) describing the following:
  • the reasons for considering the international studies program
  • how it fits into a process of professional development
  • what the student hopes to accomplish by enrolling in the program
  • Peace Corps service
• two letters of recommendation from professors

Approved English Proficiency Exam Scores

Applicants are required to submit an approved English proficiency exam score that meets the minimum program requirements below unless they have earned a bachelor’s degree or higher from a regionally accredited U.S. institution or the equivalent from a country on our exempt countries list.

• official TOEFL iBT scores required with a 78 overall
• official PTE scores required with a 52
• official IELTS (academic) scores required with a 6.5 overall and minimum individual module scores of 6.0
• official Duolingo Scores required with a 110 overall
• official TOEFL Essentials scores required with an 8.5 overall

*Additional Information 

GPA and GRE Requirement
If the overall GPA or last-60-hours GPA falls between 2.8–2.99, the student may submit the following:

• official GRE (general test only) scores with competitive scores

Foreign Language Proficiency Requirement
If the last language course was taken more than three years before the date of admission, and there has been no significant involvement in the language in the interim, the student may be asked to take a refresher course(s) in the language.

Degree Requirements

The Master of Arts (M.A.) degree with a major in International Studies requires 30 semester credit hours, including a thesis.

Course Requirements

¹

All thesis courses must be in the same department. 

²

Classes must have global/international emphasis

Comprehensive Examination Requirement

Students are required to take a written comprehensive exam in their last semester of the program.  Students must pass the comprehensive exam during the last semester in at most two attempts.  If the student fails to pass the comprehensive exam in two attempts during the final semester, the student will retake the comprehensive exam during the next regular semester. 

An oral exam is part of the comprehensive examination requirement.  Students are required to take the exam in their last semester and must pass in at most two attempts.  If the student fails to pass the oral exam in two attempts during the final semester, the student will retake the oral exam during the next regular semester. 

Students who do not successfully complete the requirements for the degree within the timelines specified will be dismissed from the program.

If a student elects to follow the thesis option for the degree, a committee to direct the written thesis will be established. The thesis must demonstrate the student’s capability for research and independent thought. Preparation of the thesis must be in conformity with the Graduate College Guide to Preparing and Submitting a Thesis or Dissertation.

Thesis Proposal

The student must submit an official Thesis Proposal Form and proposal to his or her thesis committee. Thesis proposals vary by department and discipline. Please see your department for proposal guidelines and requirements. After signing the form and obtaining committee members’ signatures, the graduate advisor’s signature if required by the program and the department chair’s signature, the student must submit the Thesis Proposal Form with one copy of the proposal attached to the dean of The Graduate College for approval before proceeding with research on the thesis. If the thesis research involves human subjects, the student must obtain exemption or approval from the Texas State Institutional Review Board prior to submitting the proposal form to The Graduate College. The IRB approval letter should be included with the proposal form. If the thesis research involves vertebrate animals, the proposal form must include the Texas State IACUC approval code. It is recommended that the thesis proposal form be submitted to the dean of The Graduate College by the end of the student’s enrollment in 5399A. Failure to submit the thesis proposal in a timely fashion may result in delayed graduation.

Thesis Committee

The thesis committee must be composed of a minimum of three approved graduate faculty members.

Thesis Enrollment and Credit

The completion of a minimum of six hours of thesis enrollment is required. For a student's initial thesis course enrollment, the student will need to register for thesis course number 5399A.  After that, the student will enroll in thesis B courses, in each subsequent semester until the thesis is defended with the department and approved by The Graduate College. Preliminary discussions regarding the selection of a topic and assignment to a research supervisor will not require enrollment for the thesis course.

Students must be enrolled in thesis credits if they are receiving supervision and/or are using university resources related to their thesis work.  The number of thesis credit hours students enroll in must reflect the amount of work being done on the thesis that semester.  It is the responsibility of the committee chair to ensure that students are making adequate progress toward their degree throughout the thesis process.  Failure to register for the thesis course during a term in which supervision is received may result in postponement of graduation. After initial enrollment in 5399A, the student will continue to enroll in a thesis B course as long as it takes to complete the thesis. Thesis projects are by definition original and individualized projects.  As such, depending on the topic, methodology, and other factors, some projects may take longer than others to complete.  If the thesis requires work beyond the minimum number of thesis credits needed for the degree, the student may enroll in additional thesis credits at the committee chair's discretion. In the rare case when a student has not previously enrolled in thesis and plans to work on and complete the thesis in one term, the student will enroll in both 5399A and 5399B.

The only grades assigned for thesis courses are PR (progress), CR (credit), W (withdrew), and F (failing). If acceptable progress is not being made in a thesis course, the instructor may issue a grade of F. If the student is making acceptable progress, a grade of PR is assigned until the thesis is completed. The minimum number of hours of thesis credit (“CR”) will be awarded only after the thesis has been both approved by The Graduate College and released to Alkek Library.

A student who has selected the thesis option must be registered for the thesis course during the term or Summer I (during the summer, the thesis course runs ten weeks for both sessions) in which the degree will be conferred.

Thesis Deadlines and Approval Process

Thesis deadlines are posted on The Graduate College website under "Current Students." The completed thesis must be submitted to the chair of the thesis committee on or before the deadlines listed on The Graduate College website.

The following must be submitted to The Graduate College by the thesis deadline listed on The Graduate College website:

1. The Thesis Submission Approval Form bearing original (wet) and/or electronic signatures of the student and all committee members.
2. One (1) PDF of the thesis in final form, approved by all committee members, uploaded in the online Vireo submission system.  

After the dean of The Graduate College approves the thesis, Alkek Library will harvest the document from the Vireo submission system for publishing in the Digital Collections database (according to the student's embargo selection). NOTE: MFA Creative Writing theses will have a permanent embargo and will never be published to Digital Collections. 

While original (wet) signatures are preferred, there may be situations as determined by the chair of the committee in which obtaining original signatures is inefficient or has the potential to delay the student's progress. In those situations, the following methods of signing are acceptable:

• signing and faxing the form
• signing, scanning, and emailing the form
• notifying the department in an email from their university's or institution's email account that the committee chair can sign the form on their behalf
• electronically signing the form using the university's licensed signature platform.

If this process results in more than one document with signatures, all documents need to be submitted to The Graduate College together.

No copies are required to be submitted to Alkek Library. However, the library will bind copies submitted that the student wants bound for personal use. Personal copies are not required to be printed on archival quality paper. The student will take the personal copies to Alkek Library and pay the binding fee for personal copies.

Master's level courses in International Studies: IS

Courses Offered

International Studies (IS)