Graduate Degree Requirements
Responsibilities of the Student. Each graduate student is responsible for a knowledge of all regulations and procedures published in this bulletin and in departmental materials. Continued progress in the program is contingent upon the adherence to the decisions of the Graduate Council and the policies and procedures as published in this bulletin. The student must assume the initiative in such matters as securing approval of a Program of Study and arranging for required tests and examinations. Failure to do so may result in unnecessary delay or interruption of graduate study.
Program Requirements. Completion of the minimum number of hours for a specific graduate program is required, including all courses listed in the Program of Study. Candidates must also satisfy departmental requirements listed in this bulletin and those provided in writing by the department or school.
Scholastic Requirements. A cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 is required for all courses included in the graduate program and in the program area (except deficiencies). Courses with grades of less than C are not accepted for graduate credit.
Satisfactory Academic Progress. Students receiving financial aid must maintain satisfactory academic progress toward degree completion. For graduate students, they must maintain a 3.00 cumulative GPA, complete 70% of classes attempted (both per term and cumulative), and complete the degree within the maximum number of quarters allowed. Detailed information about the financial aid policy is available at wallawalla.edu/progress.
Probation and Dismissal Policy. Graduate students whose cumulative GPA for courses taken in their program area at Walla Walla University drops below 3.0 will be placed on academic probation. Default grades for courses with incomplete (I) grades will be calculated into the cumulative GPA for the purpose of determining probationary status. Students placed on academic probation are urged to consider an adjustment in class and work load in consultation with their program advisers. Students whose cumulative GPA is below 3.0 for two consecutive quarters will be subject to dismissal by Graduate Council from their current graduate program. Notification of this status will be by letter from the Dean of Graduate Studies.
Transfer Credit. A maximum of 12 credit hours of graduate level work taken at other accredited institutions but not previously applied toward a degree may be approved by petition to the department. No courses with grades less than B qualify for transfer credit. Extension courses may be transferred if they are acceptable as graduate credit by the accredited college or university offering them. "P" or "S" grades may be transferred after specific review by the designated department, but will not be considered when computing the GPA.
Waiving Content Requirements. On occasion content required for the graduate program at Walla Walla University may have been covered in a course applied to an earlier degree. All courses considered for waiver must have been passed with a grade of B or higher, taken within the last five years, and submitted to the department for their review and approval. After being approved by the department, the content required by the graduate program may be waived but the total hours required for the degree is not reduced. A validation exam over the content area may be required in some programs with exceptions made in the case of second advanced degrees. There is a fee for this examination.
Time Requirement. Academic credit earned more than six calendar years prior to graduation is usually not acceptable to satisfy degree requirements.
Course Load. The maximum credit load per quarter for graduate students is 14 hours for social work, education, counseling psychology; and media ministry; and 12 hours in biology. Incomplete grades from previous quarters are added to the total course credit load of each quarter. A petition must be made to Graduate Council to exceed these limits. For purposes of loan deferment 7 hours of graduate work is considered a minimum load. For visa qualification 8 hours of graduate work is considered a minimum load.
Bulletin. A student's degree requirements will be based on the graduate bulletin in effect at the time of first enrollment as a graduate student.