Chapter Ten
Graduation
A. Graduation Requirements
Students must submit an application to the Graduate School.
B. Certification of Candidacy for Doctoral Students
1. Preliminary Examination
A preliminary examination is required of each doctoral student for advancement to candidacy for the doctoral degree. See Chapter 8 (Doctoral Degree Requirements) for more information regarding the preliminary examination process.
2. Certification of Candidacy
Once the student has passed the preliminary examination, the Graduate School notifies the student that he/she is officially a doctoral candidate.
C. Degree Audit
A degree audit is performed after the student submits an Application for Degree. The audit process involves checking the student’s Program of Study and current transcripts to ensure that all academic requirements have been met. If there are changes that are not reflected on the Program of Study, the student will be notified of the discrepancies. To correct the discrepancies, the student will be required to submit a signed Change of Program of Study form.
D. Degree Clearance
Results are compiled by clearing all students who submit every Graduate School requirement for which they are being held. These held items, which include library, academic and financial requirements, are reported on the student’s official To-Do list. Once cleared, degrees are posted on the WSU transcript and a list is given to the Dean of the Graduate School for official signature approval. After university approval, diplomas are printed and mailed to graduates.
E. Commencement Participation and Receipt of Degree
Commencement on the Pullman campus is held every December and May; commencement on the other campuses is held in May only. Master’s candidates who plan to complete their degree requirements in May or August may attend the May ceremony. Students are required to have an approved Program of Study on file when they submit the Application for Degree form for the appropriate semester. December candidates will be invited to the December or the following May ceremony. Doctoral students who complete all of their degree requirements during spring may attend the May ceremony. Doctoral students must have everything complete and must have submitted their final dissertation to the Graduate School office in order to participate in commencement.
F. Diplomas
The Graduate School requires that a student’s official name as listed in the WSU system (in the format first, middle, last) be listed on the diploma. Students may choose to have or not have their middle names on the diploma. If a student wants a different name listed on the diploma, the student must submit an official name change to WSU Payroll Office, along with the appropriate legal documentation that his or her name has changed.Diplomas are mailed approximately two months after the end of the term in which a student graduates. All requirements listed on a student’s To-Do list must be received by the Graduate School before diplomas are released. Degrees are posted to transcripts approximately six weeks after the end of the term in which a student graduates. A letter verifying that the degree requirements are complete can be provided by the Graduate School before the degree is posted on the student’s transcript as long as all degree requirements have been met.
G. Applying for Graduation for a Graduate Certificate
During the final semester in which the certificate coursework is being completed, students must submit to the Graduate School an Application for Graduate Certificate with the appropriate departmental signatures by the application for degree deadline. A processing fee is required with the application.