MA Master of Arts 3

Question 1

How do most US Master of Arts programs handle full-time enrollment in terms of credit hours per semester?

Accepted Answer

9-12 credit hours

Answer

Full-time graduate enrollment in the US is typically defined as 9–12 credit hours per semester.

Question 2

Which funding mechanism specifically supports MA students by exchanging teaching duties for a stipend and tuition waiver?

Accepted Answer

Teaching assistantship

Answer

A teaching assistantship (TA) provides a stipend and often a tuition waiver in exchange for the student assisting with undergraduate instruction.

Question 3

What does it mean when an MA program is described as 'cohort-based'?

Accepted Answer

A fixed group of students begins and progresses through the program together

Answer

A cohort-based program admits a group of students who take classes and complete milestones together on the same schedule.

Question 4

In the context of graduate admissions, what does a 'writing sample' submitted with an MA application typically demonstrate?

Accepted Answer

The applicant's capacity for scholarly argumentation and analysis

Answer

A writing sample shows admissions committees that the applicant can construct and sustain an academic argument at the graduate level.

Question 5

Which standardized test score has been most commonly waived or made optional by US MA programs since the early 2020s?

Accepted Answer

GRE General Test

Answer

Many US graduate programs dropped or made optional the GRE General Test requirement beginning around 2020, a trend that has continued.

MA - Master of Arts Practice Test