The proportion of weight attached to the research and thesis may vary, even within a department. Accordingly, the number of courses may correspondingly vary. Where the student's program requires a thesis, the number of credits will not be fewer than 1.5, which must be made up entirely of graduate level courses. Any courses selected which exceed the 1.5 minimum credits must also be acceptable to the department and the Dean of Graduate Studies for credit towards the graduate degree. These "substantive" courses comprise the candidate's prescribed studies, in which the student must obtain an overall weighted average grade of at least ‘B-' standing (see Establishment of Program and Prescribed Studies).

In addition to the prescribed studies the candidate may take ancillary courses supportive of the special discipline. These courses may be at either the undergraduate or the graduate level.

In some disciplines, the interests of a master's student may be better served through concentration on course work rather than combining course work with research. In such circumstances the prescribed studies will consist of courses. Where the student's program does not require a thesis, the number of course credits will not be fewer than 3.5. One (1.0) or more of the credits must be for the satisfactory completion of a special project or, in some cases, a major essay or paper. In some departments the major research paper takes the place of 1.0 of the total credits required. OCGS by-laws permit a maximum of 1/3 of the credits to be taken from senior undergraduate courses; however individual programs may require a higher proportion of graduate courses.