The 2025–2026 Graduate School Policies and Procedures Manual is complete and linked on the Graduate School’s Confluence site as Word and PDF documents. We are in the process of updating the Confluence webpages. Policy updates this year introduces two important updates:
Expanded Options for Professional Master’s Degrees
Professional master’s programs now have two primary culminating‐experience tracks:
- Capstone Course (GradCAPS)
- A 500-level, letter-graded course (A–F) that must require admission to the master’s program as a prerequisite. Students must earn at least a “B” to satisfy the degree requirement; departments may petition once for a repeat if needed.
- When a capstone course serves as the final exam for a professional master’s student, no additional examination or ballot is required, and no Scheduling Examination form must be filed.
- Capstone Project (701 credits)
- Independent-study credits graded S/U, with program-defined requirements each semester. Students must enroll in at least two credits of 701 in the semester they take their final examination or present their project.
- Optional Combined Path: While most programs choose either the course or the project path, the manual also permits an integrated experience—a 500-level capstone course plus a 701-credit project/exam—for programs desiring both.
These updates foster flexible, practice-oriented graduate pathways and reflect evolving degree structures across disciplines. If your non-thesis master’s program would be better served by adopting a professional master’s format, please contact the Graduate School to explore your options.
New Section on 4+1 Accelerated Master’s Programs
The manual now includes a standalone policy for 4+1 Accelerated Master’s Programs, which let undergraduates begin graduate‐level coursework in their senior year and complete a master’s degree within five years. Key elements include:
- Course Mapping: Programs identify which undergraduate courses map directly to specific graduate courses—either within WSU or at an accredited partner institution—based on content and learning outcomes, not just course numbers.
- Credit Sharing: Up to six credits may count toward both the bachelor’s and master’s degrees. Conjoint or cross-listed courses may only be applied once per degree and must be specified in the MOU.
- Admissions Process: Qualified seniors are recommended for graduate admission by their program directors via myWSU—bypassing GradCAS/EngineeringCAS—to ensure a smooth transition once the bachelor’s degree is conferred.
- Approvals & Quality Assurance: All mappings and MOUs must be approved by the department, college dean, and Graduate School, with periodic reviews to ensure graduate-level standards are met.