Programs of Study

Missouri State University offers graduate degrees in 48 program areas and graduate level certificates in 17 areas:

Master of Accountancy

Master of Arts

• Communications
• English
  tracks:
  • Creative Writing
  • Literature
  • TESOL
• History
  tracks:
  • American Studies
  • Global Area Studies
• Religious Studies
• Theatre
• Writing
  tracks:
  • Rhetoric and Composition
  • Technical and Professional Writing

Master of Arts in Teaching

Master of Business Administration

Master of Global Studies

Master of Health Administration

Master of Music

concentrations:

• Conducting
• Music Education
• Music Pedagogy
• Music Theory and Composition
• Performance

Master of Natural and Applied Science

Master of Public Administration

concentrations:

• Health Care Administration
• Local Government Planning
• Public Management
• Public Policy

Master of Public Health

Master of Science

• Administrative Studies
  options:
  • Applied Communication
  • Criminal Justice
  • Environmental Management
  • Individualized
  • Project Management
  • Sports Management
• Applied Anthropology
• Biology
• Cell and Molecular Biology
• Chemistry
• Communication Sciences and Disorders
  options:
  • Education of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
  • Speech-Language Pathology
• Computer Information Systems
• Counseling
  option:
  • Community Agency
  • Elementary School Counseling
  • Secondary School Counseling
• Criminology
• Defense and Strategic Studies
• Early Childhood and Family Development 
• Geospatial Sciences in Geography and Geology
  options:
  • Physical Geography
  • Environmental Geology
• Health Promotion and Wellness Management
• Materials Science
• Mathematics
• Nurse Anesthesia
• Physician Assistant Studies
• Plant Science
• Project Management
• Psychology
  options:
  • Clinical
  • Experimental
  • Industrial/Organizational
• Student Affairs

Master of Science in Education

• Educational Administration
  option:
  • Elementary
  • Secondary
• Elementary Education
• Instructional Media Technology
• Reading
• Secondary Education
  options:
  • Agriculture
  • Art
  • Biology
  • Business
  • Chemistry
  • Earth Science
  • English
  • French
  • Geography
  • German
  • History
  • Latin
  • Mathematics
  • Music
  • Natural Science
  • Physical Education
  • Physics
  • Social Science
  • Spanish
  • Speech and Theatre
  • Vocational Family and Consumer Sciences

Special Education

options:

• Developmental Disabilities
• Mild-To-Moderate Disabilities
• Orientation and Mobility
• Special Education Alternative Certification Track
• Visual Impairment

Master of Science in Nursing

options:

• Family Nurse Practitioner
• Nurse Educator

Master of Social Work

Specialist in Education

options:

• Elementary Principal
• Secondary Principal
• Superintendent

Doctor of Audiology

Doctor of Physical Therapy

Cooperative Programs

Missouri State University collaborates in a cooperative program with the University of Missouri-Columbia leading to a Doctorate in Educational Leadership. A major part of the course work is taken at Missouri State. The degree is conferred by the University of Missouri-Columbia.

Missouri State also collaborates with the University of Missouri-Columbia to provide access to Missouri State courses that can be applied to the Master of Arts in Library and Information Science, an ALA-accredited program offered by UM-C. Students pursing the UM-C degree enroll through MUDirect. For more information on this collaborative arrangement, contact the Department of Library Science, (417) 836-4529.

The Master of Arts in Teaching degree offered by Missouri State University is offered from both the Springfield campus and the Joplin Graduate Center on the campus of Missouri Southern State University. The Joplin-based program has been developed through a Missouri State University-Missouri Southern State University partnership. Students completing the program through the Joplin Graduate Center will receive their degree from Missouri State University and their diploma will bear the names of both institutions.

Graduate College Program

While most of the graduate programs are associated with a specific academic department or college, the Master of Science in Administrative Studies is an interdisciplinary program that is administered by the Graduate College. The program offers six options—Applied Communication, Criminal Justice, Environmental Management, Project Management, Sports Management, and Individualized. See the Graduate Catalog for more information.

Graduate Certificate Programs

Certificate programs are designed for those who want to complete a recognized concentration of study in an area. The following graduate level certificate programs are offered:

• Autism Spectrum Disorders (18 hours) Department of Counseling, Leadership, and Special Education
• Conflict and Dispute Resolution (16 hours) Department of Communication
• Defense and Strategic Studies (9 hours) Department Defense and Strategic Studies
• Forensic Child Psychology (12 hours) Department of Psychology
• Geospatial Information Sciences (12 hours) Department of Geography, Geology, and Planning
• Homeland Security and Defense (12 hours) College of Humanites and Public Affairs
• Instructional Technology Specialist (15 hours) Department of Reading, Foundations, and Technology
• Orientation and Mobility (18 hours) Department of Counseling, Leadership, and Special Education
• Ozarks Studies (15 hours) Department of English
• Post-Master's Family Nurse Practitioner (27 hours) Department of Nursing
• Post-Master's Nurse Educator (12 hours) Department of Nursing
• Project Management (12 hours) Department of  Technology and Construction Management
• Public Management (18 hours) Department of Political Science
• Religious Studies for the Professions (12 hours) Department of Religious Studies
• Sports Management (18 hours) Department of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation
• Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (15 hours) Department of English
• Technology Management (12 hours) Department of Technology and Construction Management

Each certificate program is a focused combination of courses designed to significantly increase competency in the stated discipline area. Students completing these certificate programs will have that completion status reflected on their official transcript. Although certificates may be earned independent of a graduate degree program, the course work in some certificates can be utilized in conjunction with obtaining a master’s degree, simultaneously or later. As noted in the list, two of the certificate programs require a previously earned master's degree. Specific details on each program are listed in the Graduate Catalog.

Accelerated Masters Programs

The Accelerated Masters degree option provides a transition that enables outstanding undergraduate students to begin taking graduate course work in their junior or senior year and thus combine components of the undergraduate and graduate curriculum. Students must apply and be accepted to the accelerated master’s program by the department and the Graduate College before enrolling for any courses to apply to the graduate degree.

Students admitted into an approved Accelerated Masters Degree Program may have a limited number of 600-700 level courses counted toward both the undergraduate and graduate degree. Before enrolling in a course to be counted as both undergraduate and graduate credit (mixed credit), an undergraduate student must be accepted into the accelerated program and receive prior approval from the graduate program advisor, department head of the undergraduate program, and the dean of the Graduate College. All approvals must be completed prior to the end of the Change of Schedule Period for the course(s). A maximum of 12 credit hours may be taken as Mixed Credit, but many programs have lower limits. Under the Accelerated Master’s degree option, a student will be fully admitted to the Graduate College upon completion of the requirement of the baccalaureate degree. Undergraduate students interested in the Accelerated Master’s opportunity should contact their department or the Graduate College (417) 836-5331 to determine admission requirements and procedures. The following accelerated masters programs are offered:

• Accountancy, Master of (MACC)
• Biology (MS)
• Business Administration, Master of (MBA)
• Cell and Molecular Biology (MS)
• Chemistry (MS)
• Communication (MA)
• Geospatial Sciences in Geography and Geology (MS)
• Global Studies, Master of (MGS)
• Materials Science (MS)
• Mathematics (MS)
• Natural and Applied Science, Master of (MNAS)
• Nursing, Master of Science in (MSN)
• Plant Science (MS)
• Project Management (MS)
• Public Administration, Master of (MPA)
• Religious Studies (MA)
• Theatre (MA)

Admission to Graduate Study

A completed application for admission form and the $35 application fee are required. Graduate College admission requirements include:

1. A bachelor’s degree from a college or university accredited by agencies recognized by Missouri State and an overall grade point average of at least 2.75 on a 4.00 scale, or at least a 2.75 grade point average on a 4.00 scale for the last 60 hours of academic course work; or
2. A score of 475 or above on either the verbal or quantitative section of the Graduate Record Examination, and a score of not less than 400 on the other section.

Additional requirements and higher standards may be stipulated by departments for their programs. 

Graduate Transfer Credit

On a case-by-case basis, graduate credit earned at other accredited institutions may be accepted. Acceptance of transfer credits on a graduate degree program occurs through recommendation of the student’s major advisor and approval of the Graduate College. Transfer hours may count for up to 30% of the Program of Study. The policy on transfer credit also applies to students who are currently enrolled in a second graduate program at MSU. As with all credits applied toward a degree, transfer credits must have been earned within the eight-year time limit for a degree program and have been taken for graduate credit at a regionally credited university. Grades on transfer courses accepted in the degree program are included in the overall (combined Missouri State and transfer) graduate grade point average. The limitation on transfer credit may be superseded when the university develops a collaborative agreement with another institution for delivery of an academic program. In cases where Missouri State shares program responsibility with another institution, both institutions may teach courses that might be applied to an Missouri State degree program. For more information on a specific program, see the appropriate section of the Graduate Catalog.

Active in Research Course

GEN 798 Active in Research 0(0-0), F,S,Su

Students who have completed all course work and are only working on their research component may register for this course with approval of advisor. Course is offered at a reduced fee of $75 and allows the following: access to the library including online service such as interlibrary loans, MOBIUS, and restricted access databases; opportunity to purchase a parking permit; and access to computer services and Missouri State email. Course is a zero credit hour course and is graded "P" (pass) or "W" (student discontinues participation in the course and is dropped from the course).

Accreditation

Missouri State University is accredited to offer master’s and specialist degrees and a professional doctorate degree by The Higher Learning Commission and a member of the North Central Association. In addition, specific graduate programs of the University are professionally accredited by the following agencies.

• AACSB International – The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business

• Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA)

• American Speech-Language-Hearing Association

• Association for Educational Communications and Technology

• Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education

• Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education

• Council on Academic Accreditation of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association

• Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs

• Council on Education of the Deaf

• Council on Social Work Education

• International Reading Association

• Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

• National Association of Schools of Music

• National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration

• National Association of Schools of Theatre

• National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education

The University is a member of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities, the Council of Graduate Schools in the United States, American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, and Midwestern Association of Graduate Schools.

All Graduate Courses 

For a complete listing of all graduate courses (courses numbered 600 and above), refer to the academic departments on this web site or refer to the Graduate Catalog.