Chapter 14-C

Chapter 14C: The Program of Study

1. University Requirements 

The Program of Study for the professionally oriented master’s degree is an official form documenting the student’s plan for courses to take as well as for other degree requirements. General university requirements and descriptions for the student’s program of study are described in Chapter 6.G. The Program of Study for a professionally oriented master’s degree candidate should be submitted on the form provided by the Graduate School as soon as possible, but no later than the beginning of the semester preceding the anticipated semester of graduation (e.g., anticipated graduation in spring, the Program of Study is due no later than beginning of preceding fall semester). The approved professionally oriented master’s Program of Study becomes the basis of the requirements for the degree. Subsequent alteration is made by submission of a Program Change form with the endorsement of the master’s advisory committee and the approval of the chair of the major department/program and the dean of the Graduate School.

Every professionally oriented master’s degree student must have an advisor. The student’s advisor should aid the student in the development of the proposed Program of Study, which is then submitted to the chair/director of the appropriate graduate program. Alternatively, programs can include pre-determined coursework for their student cohorts as required by their professional curriculum if approved in advance by the Faculty Senate and Graduate School. In this case, there is not an individual Program of Study for each student and the program director should submit a completed Program of Study: Professionally Oriented Cohort form. It is the program chair/director’s responsibility to assure that the Program of Study meets the minimum requirements of the respective professional graduate program and the Graduate School.

The following professionally oriented master’s program requirements represent the minimum Graduate School requirements for the program of study; individual graduate programs may have additional requirements. Not all work taken by a graduate student need appear on the Program of Study. A complete description of the program requirements for each degree is given in the Graduate School Catalog.

Program of Study for Professionally Oriented Master’s Degree

  • 30 hours minimum of total credits
  • 27 hours minimum of graded (A-F) coursework, which may include up to 9 hours of undergraduate 300-400 level graded coursework.
  • 3 hours minimum of 701-level credit in the major, 2 of which must be taken in the semester of the final exam/project completion*
  • Courses taken for audit or courses graded Pass/Fail may not be used on the Program of Study.

*Note: Graded coursework at the 500-level as a capstone course may be used in place of the 701 credits provided it is officially approved via the Faculty Senate process. A ballot meeting is still required in the final semester in which the capstone course is taken to determine if the student has successfully met all the program requirements.

Seminars approved for graduate credit numbered 500 or above that are graded other than P/F or S/F may be a part of the master’s program. Any course listed on the student’s Program of Study in which a grade of “C-” or below is earned must be repeated for graded credit and cannot be removed from the Program of Study. For more information on general requirements and transfer credit, see Chapter 6.G.2.

2. Filing Program of Study

After the individual Program of Study is completed and signed by the graduate student, it must be signed by the advisory committee and submitted to the chair/director of the graduate program, who ensures that it meets the requirements of the program and Graduate School. The chair/director will submit the Program of Study to the Graduate School via the GRM for approval. If using the cohort Program of Study, each student does not sign the document and the chair/director will submit the completed form to the Graduate School via email to gradschool@wsu.edu.

3. Change the Program of Study

Changes made to the Program of Study must be documented on a Program Change form with the appropriate signatures signifying the endorsement of the advisor and the approval of the chair of the program and submitted to the Graduate School. If program changes are made, the Program Change form must be completed, signed and submitted to the Graduate School before a student may submit an Application for Degree.

4. Fulfilling the Program of Study

Once approved, the professional master’s Program of Study becomes the basis of the requirements for the degree.

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