Master of Arts students must complete a minimum of 36 credits, including 27 specialization credits, 6 elective credits, and a 3 credit Final MA Project. Additional requirements include 24 credits in residency and maintenance of a minimum 3.0 grade point average. Students may attend full-time or part-time, and they are given 6 years, from the date of matriculation, in which to complete the degree.

1. Matriculation/Statement of Requirements

   The Office of Graduate Admissions sends a Matriculation/Statement of Requirements Form to newly accepted students. This form must be completed with a faculty advisor within the first few weeks of the first semester of matriculation.

2. Courses and Credits

   Master of Arts students must complete a minimum of 36 credits, as follows: Specialization courses in the Program 27 credits Cognate courses (professional electives) 6 credits Final Master of Arts Project 3 credits.

   All Master of Arts students are required to take the following specialization courses:

   • Educational Design of Media Environments (E19.2158)
   • Cognitive Science and Educational Technology I (E19.2174)
   • Cognitive Science and Educational Technology II (E19.2175)
   • Representation and Interaction Design for Education (E19.2015)
   • Architecture of Learning Environments (E19.2017)

   Students select remaining specialization and cognate courses on an individual basis with faculty advisement.

   Background in education, teaching, learning, and such related areas as psychology is useful to successful completion of the Program. Students who in their adviser's view lack background academic or work experience necessary to effective performance in the Program or achievement of individual goals may be required to complete course work in such areas, either to fulfill the cognate requirement or by taking courses beyond the 36 credit requirement for the degree.

   Graduate courses in the University are numbered at the 1000-, 2000-, and 3000- levels (e.g., E19.1211, E19.2175, E19.3311). NYU Steinhardt specifies that Master of Arts students must complete a minimum of 18 credits at the 2000-level or higher. Therefore, Master of Arts students in the Program can take no more than 18 credits at the 1000-level. Undergraduate courses, at the 0000-level, may not be counted for credit toward the degree.

   International students, after testing for English proficiency prior to registration, may be required to take English language courses through NYU's American Language Institute along with regular degree-related coursework.

3. Master of Arts Thesis Project

   Students developing the Master of Arts Thesis Project enroll in the course E19.2095, Educational Communication and Technology Research. Thesis projects may take various forms: instructional media design and development projects, research studies, research application studies, or comprehensive literature reviews with meta-analyses and critiques. Their purpose is to give students nearing graduation the opportunity to integrate and apply what they have gained through previous academic coursework and field experiences to major, culminating projects while being supervised and advised by ECT faculty members. At the conclusion of each semester, graduating students present these projects to each other, a panel of ECT faculty members, and the ECT student community at the Master of Arts Colloquium.

   More Information on the Thesis Experience

4. Residency

   NYU Steinhardt requires that Master of Arts students take a minimum of 24 credits in residency on the NYU-Washington Square campus.

5. Scholastic Average

   A cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher, for specialization courses and the total record, is required.

6. Tenure of Matriculation

   NYU Steinhardt requires students to complete requirements for the Master of Arts degree within six (6) years of matriculation, defined as the first semester of enrollment for courses leading to the degree. The clock stops only during official leaves of absence.

   Students who do not complete requirements for the degree within the six year period have an "expired matriculation." They may apply for an extension of matriculation, for which they will be evaluated by their faculty advisor. If approved, an extension period is established by their faculty advisor. Students whose matriculation lapses beyond 10 years must apply for "re-matriculation." If accepted, courses previously completed are re-evaluated for currency, and a new Statement of Requirements is issued.

7. Maintenance of Matriculation

   Students must maintain "active status" throughout their studies, beginning with the first semester of matriculation and including the semester in which they intend to graduate. To do so, Master of Arts students must complete at least three (3) credits at the 2000-level (or higher) each fall and spring semester (not summer). If students can not enroll in course work in a given fall or spring semester, they must register for Maintaining Matriculation (E47.4747), for which they pay a non-credit bearing maintenance of matriculation fee.

   Registration for Maintaining Matriculation entitles students to use the libraries and other facilities, consult members of the faculty, participate in University activities, and use student health services and the Coles Sports Center. This option may be used during the semester in which students intend to graduate, if they are completing incomplete course work but taking no additional course work. Students may register for E47.4747 only after they have been enrolled during one academic year for a minimum of three (3) credits and with permission of a faculty advisor. Students may register for E47.4747 for up to a total of two (2) years within the six-year period allowed to complete the degree.