The Graduate College

Graduation Information

The information is intended to guide you in completing your degree requirements.
It is not intended to substitute for departmental advising!
See your departmental advisor to confirm that you have met all the following
requirements and to determine what additional departmental requirements may exist.

Application for Graduation Audit *please note: after December 2003 graduation, there is no late application option. The new graduation audit fee, effective immediately, is $45.
Theses, Project, and Dissertation Defense and Submission Deadlines
Graduation Checklist for Master's Students
Graduation Checklist for Specialist Students
Graduation Checklist for Doctoral Students
Information from the Office of the University Registrar
General WMU Information about Commencement

Master's Students

1. A program of study (also known as the graduate student permanent program) must be filed in the Records Office. Please make sure your department has forwarded the original program and any revisions that may have been made.

2. If writing a master's Theses, file a Theses committee appointment form no later than the semester before the term you plan to graduate [click here for committee requirements and form]:

3. Apply for graduation by the stated deadline. Earlier submission is strongly encouraged; you may change your graduation date at any point after the audit without paying an additional application fee.

Graduation applied for:	Application deadline:
April	December 1
June	February 1
August	February 1
December	August 1

Contact the Office of Graduation Auditing 269 387-4300 or online) to apply.

4. Review audit letter for any unmet requirements:

any incomplete grades must be removed.
if not finishing the degree within the 6-year time limit, an extension of time must be sought from The Graduate College [click here for extension form].
if completing a Theses, it must be successfully defended and submitted to The Graduate College by the deadline for graduation [click here for submission deadlines].
must have overall 3.0 GPA to graduate with a master's degree.
all graduation requirements must be completed within 30 days after date of commencement.

5. If graduation requirements are not completed by the deadlines, you must change your graduation date by contacting the Office of Graduation Auditing at 269 387-4300.

Specialist Students

1. A program of study (also known as the graduate student permanent program) must be filed in the Records Office. Please make sure your department has forwarded the original program and any revisions that may have been made.

2. File a specialist project committee appointment form no later than the semester before the term you plan to graduate [click here for committee requirements and form]:

Graduation applied for:	Application deadline:
April	December 1
June	February 1
August	February 1
December	August 1

Contact the Office of Graduation Auditing ( 269 387-4300 or online) to apply.

4. Review audit letter for any unmet requirements:

any incomplete grades must be removed.
if not finishing the degree within the 6-year time limit (5-year limit for students who enter the specialist program with a completed master's degree), an extension of time must be sought from The Graduate College [click here for extension form].
successfully defended specialist project must be submitted to The Graduate College by the deadline for graduation [click here for submission deadlines].
must have overall 3.0 GPA to graduate with a specialist degree.
all graduation requirements must be completed within 30 days after date of commencement.

5. If graduation requirements are not completed by the deadlines, you must change your graduation date by contacting the Office of Graduation Auditing at 269 387-4300.

Doctoral Students

1. A program of study (also known as the graduate student permanent program) must be filed in the Records Office. Please make sure your department has forwarded the original program and any revisions that may have been made.

2. Pass all qualifying and comprehensive exams. Notification of successful completion of exams must be sent by the department to the Records Office before the audit can be completed.

3. File a doctoral dissertation committee appointment form no later than the semester before the term you plan to graduate [click here for requirements and form]:

4. Apply for graduation by the stated deadline. Earlier submission is strongly encouraged; you may change your graduation date at any point after the audit without paying an additional application fee.

Graduation applied for:	Application deadline:
April	December 1
June	February 1
August	February 1
December	August 1

Contact the Office of Graduation Auditing ( 269 387-4300 or online) to apply.

5. Review audit letter for any unmet requirements:

any incomplete grades must be removed.
if not finishing the degree within the 7-year time limit, an extension of time must be sought from The Graduate College [click here for extension form].
notification of completion of all comprehensive exams must be submitted by department to Records Office.
must have overall 3.0 GPA to graduate with a doctoral degree.
all graduation requirements must be completed by date of commencement.

6. Schedule defense of dissertation:

all of the above requirements must be met before the defense can be scheduled.
defense must take place at least one week before dissertation submission deadline [click here for submission deadlines].
notification must be submitted to The Graduate College at least two weeks prior to defense date [click here for defense scheduling form].
prepare three original copies of the dissertation approval form for signature by your committee [click here for approval forms].
at least three members of your committee must attend the defense.
submit defended dissertation to The Graduate College by the deadline for graduation [click here for submission deadlines].

7. If graduation requirements are not completed by the deadlines, you must change your graduation date by contacting the Office of Graduation Auditing at 269 387-4300.

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