CSCR Master’s Degree

Students who enter the CSCR named option without a master’s degree will earn a Master of Science degree in Human Ecology before progressing to the PhD. Master’s degrees require a minimum of 30 graduate credits, of which at least 16 credits must have been taken as a graduate student at UW–Madison. These students must complete an empirical master’s thesis under the supervision of their master’s degree committee. Possibilities for master’s theses include traditional social scientific studies, action research studies, program evaluations, and analyses of secondary data. Details can be determined in consultation with the degree committee, but all theses must involve an analysis of data of some kind, in addition to conceptual work. The final outcomes from a master’s thesis include a written report and a formal defense. Students are also encouraged to present their findings to the relevant stakeholder audiences, and more broadly within the School of Human Ecology.