Subject to the approval of the Department Head and Graduate Dean, students holding masters/specialist degrees from a regionally accredited graduate institution in the United States may apply certain courses that were a part of a previously earned graduate degree toward a second masters/specialist degree, provided such courses are not more than 6 years old at the time the second master's degree is conferred. The number of courses so permitted will be as follows:

1. For 30-semester-hour degree, no more than 9 approved hours.
2. For 36-semester-hour degree, no more than 12 approved hours.
3. For the 62-semester-hour MFA, no more than 20 approved hours.
4. A thesis completed for a previous degree cannot be used for a second master's/specialist degree.
5. A 595 Research Literature and Techniques course can only be used for a second masters/specialist degree with departmental and Graduate School approval.
6. All remaining courses applied to satisfy the requirements for the second masters/specialist degree must be Texas A&M University-Commerce courses.

The second masters/specialist degree will be subject to the general regulations governing masters degrees except as stated above.

After a degree is awarded, courses taken before the degree was awarded (regardless of whether the course is applied to the degree) cannot be repeated and the grade point average cannot be recalculated.

If a course is repeated after a master’s/specialist degree is conferred, both courses are included in the graduate GPA calculation.

If a course is repeated after a master’s/specialist degree is conferred and the repeated course is included in the second degree, the repeated course is considered a shared course and is included in the one-third of credit hours used from a previous degree.

Students who wish to pursue a second masters/specialist degree must apply for admission to the second masters/specialist degree. Contact your Graduate Services Coordinator for additional information.

Masters Admissions Information