Final Examinations

Label saying Master's
Final Oral Examination

All master’s degrees require a final exam. You must have applied for graduation and have a minimum GPA of 3.00 on both your program of study and cumulative graduate transcript to schedule the final oral examination.

You must schedule your exam with the Graduate School no later than two weeks in advance of your proposed examination date.

Label saying Doctoral
Preliminary Oral Examination

In order to be admitted to candidacy for the doctoral degree, you must pass a comprehensive preliminary examination conducted by your committee. The purpose of this exam is to determine your understanding of your major and minor fields and to assess your capability for research. The exam may cover your proposed research topic, although no more than one-half of the test should be devoted to specific aspects of the proposal. The preliminary exam is taken near the completion of all coursework on the Program of Study.

Final Oral Examination:

At least one complete academic term must elapse between the preliminary exam and the final exam. The examination committee will consist of the same members as for the preliminary examination, although substitutions may be made if approved by the department/program or college and the Graduate School.

Process for Scheduling Your Exam

  • Review the Graduate School Policies and Procedures Manual (Chapter 7: Master’s;  Chapter 8: Doctoral)
  • Your approved Program of Study (for this degree) must be on file at the Graduate School.
  • You must be enrolled and registered for the required number (2) of 700/701/702/800 credits during the semester in which you will take the final examination.
  • You must apply for graduation within myWSU and pay the graduation fee(s) before the final examination may be scheduled. Contact the Graduate School if you need to update your graduation to a later term.
  • Complete the Final Examination Scheduling Form with assistance from your department’s Academic Coordinator; this includes reserving rooms at all locations.
  • Your committee members sign the Final Examination Scheduling Form, indicating that they agree to attend at the date/time/location; that the student is ready for this exam; and that a dissertation/thesis suitable for submission has been given preliminary approval. You must obtain the department-level signature on the Scheduling Form.
  • The signed Final Examination Scheduling Form must be submitted to the Graduate School at least 10 working days prior to the examination date (or 15 working days if a Graduate Mentor is requested. See below for information about Graduate Mentors).
  • An electronic copy of your dissertation or thesis must be submitted at the same time as your Final Examination Scheduling Form. This submission does not constitute final acceptance. The Graduate School schedules the student’s examination upon receipt of the completed Final Examination Scheduling Form.
    • Masters and Doctoral candidates must upload their draft dissertation to UMI/ProQuest at http://www.dissertations.wsu.edu, and choose their desired publishing method (Traditional or Open Access). Publishing and copyright fees for optional services must be paid to UMI/ProQuest before they will make your thesis/dissertation draft available to the Graduate School for review.
  • At least five working days prior to the oral defense, masters and doctoral candidates must deliver a complete copy of the thesis/dissertation to the Department or Program Chair. This copy serves as the public copy and must be displayed at a public place designated by the graduate program.
  • Check with your department to ascertain the requirements for the number of copies of the thesis/dissertation to be distributed prior to the examination.
Second exams/re-exams

When scheduling a re-examination (second/final attempt), the student must turn in a completed Final Examination Scheduling Form a minimum of 15 working days before the date of the exam.

Graduate Mentor Academy

Graduate students may need guidance and support during challenging aspects of their program, including preliminary examinations and defenses. The Graduate Mentor Academy serves graduate students  by representing the Graduate School during examinations and defenses. To find out more about the Academy and the assistance it offers, visit HERE.