In addition to the following regulations, requirements may be specified by the individual graduate departments.
The minimum Graduate School requirement for the master's degree is thirty credits, at least twenty-four of which must be taken at the University. In those master's degree programs where the college, school or department requires more than the Graduate School minimum, their requirements take precedence. The Graduate School recognizes three general master's degree plans, though not all plans are offered in each department (for exact information, see listings under individual departments in the appropriate sections of this bulletin):
- requires a total of thirty credits, including a total of eight credits for a thesis.
- requires a total of thirty credits, including a minimum of two credits for an essay.
- requires a total of thirty credits. The essay or thesis is not required.
Admission as an applicant does not assure acceptance as a candidate for a degree. Candidacy is a necessary but not sufficient requirement for graduation.
Generally, students enrolled in master's degree programs are expected to file a Plan of Work by the time eight to twelve graduate credits have been earned. The applicant shall be advanced to the rank of `Candidate' upon approval of the Plan of Work by the College Graduate Office. In most colleges candidacy must be authorized by the time twelve graduate credits have been earned or subsequent registration will be denied. In preparing the Plan, the student and adviser should evaluate with care the personal and professional objectives of the student as well as all degree and departmental requirements.
Under Plan B, students are required to complete an essay prior to the granting of a master's degree. The essay must show evidence of scholarly study and writing and be related to the student's major. Students should consult their departments regarding any additional requirements for essays, as well as for correct essay manuscript style.
Under Plan A, departments require the completion of a thesis prior to the granting of a master's degree. The thesis may be of a research, expository or critical nature and should be selected and planned with care;. It must be an original work, in or related to the student's major field of specialization. Work submitted for credit in other courses cannot be used in fulfilling thesis requirements. Neither the results of the research nor the publication of findings may be restricted by any non-University agency. The results of the research may be published prior to submission and acceptance of the thesis, with the approval of the thesis adviser.
The presentation of a thesis generally brings to a close the pursuit of the master's degree. In essence such manuscripts represent a tangible summation of the many hours spent in study and research to acquire a higher education. For this reason such scholarly documents must evidence only the highest standards of research and writing. They must show consistency in punctuation, style and format. For format requirements and format templates, see the Graduate School website: http://www.gradschool.wayne.edu/
Advisers have primary responsibility for approval of the thesis. Such approval includes all academic and professional evaluations and judgments as to originality, adequacy, accuracy, significance, methodology, justification or conclusions and correctness of style. Approval shall not be recorded until the work and manuscripts are fully verified and accepted.
A master's student who has enrolled for all elections (including essay or thesis) stipulated by his/her Plan of Work, and who has completed all the requirements of these elections, but has not completed the essay or thesis, will be required to register for at least one credit (the appropriate amount to be determined by the department) of essay or thesis direction until such time as the student:
a) completes the requirements for the degree;
b) declares him/herself no longer a candidate for the degree; or
c) exceeds the time limit allotted for securing the degree.
For these credits, the student will pay customary fees and will register as an auditor. No degree credit will be granted for these elections which are beyond the required credits for an essay or thesis. A mark of `Z' (Auditor) will be recorded on the student's record for additional elections.
College of Nursing: The additional elections and fee policy also applies to field studies and research practicums.
Students have a six-year time limit to complete all requirements for the master's degree. The six-year period begins with the end of the semester during which the student has taken work which applies toward meeting the requirements of the degree. The individual college or school reserves the right of revalidation of over-age credits which are between six and ten years old and which represent courses completed at Wayne State University. Such authority rests with the Graduate Officer of the college or school. Students are not permitted to revalidate credits earned at other institutions. In revalidation cases the adviser and the student must set a terminal date for completion of all degree requirements, including such additional requirements as may be prescribed to revalidate the over-age credits. Time extensions beyond these conditions are authorized only for conditions clearly beyond the student's control.
A student registered in a non-degree graduate classification is cautioned that only one semester of full-time graduate study, or part-time registration not to exceed nine credits, is permitted in this classification. Not more than nine credits may be applied toward the credit requirements for the master's degree.
Please see the appropriate school and college sections of this bulletin for specific master's program information.
Programs leading to a graduate certificate are available through several University units and are open to students who meet the general graduate admission requirements of the University; individual programs may have additional admissions requirements. The specific number of credits required for completion varies by program, though a graduate certificate program must consist of at least twelve graduate credits. Certificates may be free-standing or may be earned concurrently with a graduate degree. A certificate program must be completed within three years, a minimum grade point average of 3.0 in certificate courses must be maintained, and only nine semester credits of certificate course work may be applied toward a graduate degree.
Students should consult the specific certificate program description in this Bulletin (or contact the specific program) to determine admission requirements, credits required for completion, and the degree(s) required for receipt of the certificate.
Requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy emphasize an overall understanding of and high competence in a field of knowledge, familiarity with cognate disciplines, facility in the use of research techniques, and responsibility for the advancement of knowledge. The meeting of the requirements for the doctorate is tested primarily by examinations and the presentation of the dissertation rather than by a summation of courses, grades and credits.
A student may be admitted to the status of Ph.D. applicant if he/she meets all Graduate School requirements for admission, presents a grade point average of 3.0 (`B'=3) for the upper division of the undergraduate course work and is accepted for study toward the degree by his or her school or college and major department. Additional requirements (e.g., letters of recommendation, undergraduate research experience, personal interview, specific coursework, service learning) are specified by departments and programs. Students presenting less than a 3.0 undergraduate grade point average are required to complete a master's degree program, or its equivalent, prior to consideration for admission to a Ph.D. program.
An adviser is assigned to the student at the beginning of his/her program and represents the Department in helping plan the student's program. The adviser provides academic guidance, approves required documents and monitors student progress. The initial adviser serves until the time the student identifies a dissertation director, who then assumes advising responsibilities.
Course work and research leading to the doctoral degree is a matter of shared responsibilities between faculty members and Ph.D. students. The Graduate Council has established the following reciprocal obligations:
1) Admitting qualified students whose research interests can be accommodated within those of the program.
2) Ensuring that students receive competent and sustained advising from their entry into the program until degree requirements are completed or the student is separated from the program.
3) Monitoring and evaluating student progress toward the degree and for communicating the results of the evaluation to the student on an annual basis.
4) Assisting students in locating potential dissertation directors.
5) Offering guidance and instruction in those research areas in which they have expertise. To this end individual faculty members are responsible for deciding whether or not to serve as a dissertation director for any given student. This responsibility rests solely with the faculty, who are expected to make decisions based on reasonable academic criteria.
1) Identifying research areas in which the Ph.D. program can provide guidance. The selection of a research area outside these areas may cause difficulty in achieving the degree.
2) Maintaining good standing throughout the doctoral program and making normal progress toward the degree.
3) Requesting that an individual member of the faculty serve as the dissertation director, working with the dissertation director toward timely completion of degree requirements, and complying with the dissertation director's instructions.
The stages of the Ph.D. degree are outlined below. The section following describes these stages in detail. Necessary forms and additional instructions and requirements may be found on the Graduate School website: http://www.gradschool.wayne.edu
1. Plan of Work: Initiated by the student and completed with his/her adviser to plan the sequence of study. An approved Plan is a requirement for Ph.D. Candidacy.
2. Ph.D. Coursework: Ninety graduate credits beyond the baccalaureate degree are required. Completion of about fifty credits of coursework is a requirement for Ph.D. Candidacy.
3. Annual Review: The student's department prepares a review of the student's progress at the end of each academic year.
4. Qualifying Examination: The qualifying examination contains a written portion and may include an oral component. Successful completion of the qualifying examination is a requirement for Ph.D. Candidacy.
5. Dissertation Advisory Committee: The naming of a dissertation advisory committee is a requirement for Ph.D. Candidacy.
6. Candidacy: Ph.D. Candidacy begins the dissertation preparation phase of the degree.
7. Dissertation Registration: Four consecutive academic-year semesters of registration as a degree candidate are required during the preparation of the dissertation.
8. Oral Examination: An oral examination is required of all Ph.D. students. It may be addressed as part of the qualifying examination, a prospectus meeting, a lecture or seminar, or another format approved by the student's department.
9. Dissertation Prospectus: After attaining Candidacy, the student prepares a description of the proposed research and dissertation for approval by his/her Advisory Committee.
10. Dissertation Preparation: The dissertation presents the original scholarship or research completed by the student.
11. Dissertation Public Lecture-Presentation Defense: The student presents and defends the dissertation in a public lecture.
12. Submission of approved dissertation: The student may submit the approved dissertation in hard copy, on disk or CD or electronically and must complete the paperwork required at this final stage.
This planning document, which is developed by the student and the adviser, should include both course and non-course objectives. An interim Plan of Work, to be retained in the department, should be developed by the end of the student's first year and updated annually. The final Plan of Work requires the signatures of both the adviser and the departmental Graduate Director prior to submission to the Graduate School for approval. The final Plan of Work may be filed with the Graduate School at any time; however, it must be submitted before forty credits have been completed and before the qualifying examination is scheduled.
To ensure adequate preparation, the Graduate Council has adopted minimum coursework requirements for the University's highest degree. Many programs will exceed these minima.
A minimum of ninety graduate credits beyond the baccalaureate degree is required for completion of the Ph.D. program. A Ph.D. program will consist of:
(1) at least twelve credits of coursework in the major (not including directed study or research credit);
(2) at least one minor area of study composed of six or more credits elected within or outside the major department;
(3) sufficient additional coursework to total sixty credits (major and minor coursework, pre-dissertation research and directed study); and
(4) thirty credits earned in four consecutive Candidate Status semesters after candidacy has been approved.
The Ph.D. program should provide for effective concentration in a major field with supporting courses in related fields. The decision concerning whether the student's Plan of Work will include one minor or two is made by the department.
The total Ph.D. program must include thirty credits, excluding Candidate Status semesters, in courses open only to graduate students (i.e., 7000 level or above).
Registration in directed study must have advance approval of the student's adviser and advance authorization of the student's department. A Graduate School Petition and Authorization for Directed Study must be signed by the student's adviser, instructor, and the Graduate Committee Chairperson of the department before registration. The Directed Study Petition must contain all relevant details, including an explicit course outline, a rationale for the course, and information about the major academic requirements the student must successfully fulfill.
All Ph.D. students are required to receive an annual review of the student's progress toward completion of degree requirements. The student's progress in course work, scholarship, teaching, and all other academic or professional areas defined by the department will be summarized and communicated to the student in writing. The annual review must be signed by the student, adviser, and departmental Graduate Director. The annual review is filed in the student's department.
The Qualifying Examination covers the student's primary areas of study and research, as well as such related matters as the qualifying examining committee may prescribe. The Qualifying Exam must contain a written component; an oral component (described later) is optional.
The Qualifying Examining Committee must consist minimally of three major departmental members with approved graduate faculty status. An external member may be added at the discretion of the department. In this latter instance, the department is encouraged to select a person from the student's minor/cognate area. The membership of this committee may not normally be changed until the Qualifying Examination(s) (written or written and oral, as required) have been passed.
If the written component of the Qualifying Examination is not completed successfully at the first administration, the examination may be repeated only once. A second examination may not be held until at least one semester has elapsed, but must be held within one calendar year following the first examination. The same examining committee must preside over both examinations. The second written examination will be considered final.
If an oral examination is required as part of the Qualifying Examination, it must be conducted by the examining committee within sixty days after the written portion of the exam is passed. The student's examining committee will select one of its members to serve as the Graduate Examiner. The results of the oral qualifying examination are to be communicated to the Graduate School via the Report on Doctor of Philosophy Oral Examination form.
If the Graduate Examiner certifies that the applicant has not passed all parts of the oral examination, the committee must make specific recommendations as to admitting the applicant to a second examination and specify any additional work that should be completed prior to such an examination. A second examination may not be held until at least one semester has elapsed, but must be held within one calendar year following the first examination. The same examining committee must preside over both examinations. The second oral examination will be considered final.
The dissertation advisory committee shall consist minimally of four members. If there are co-chairs, the committee shall consist of five members. At least two committee members shall be from the student's home department/program, and at least two shall hold Regular Graduate Faculty appointments. The committee chair shall hold a Regular Graduate Faculty appointment in the home unit, and if there are co-chairs, at least the one from the home unit shall hold a Regular Graduate Faculty appointment. The committee shall have at least one external member who broadens the dissertation committee beyond the home program to represent a different perspective by virtue of his/her field, location or knowledge application; who does not hold any salaried or contractual appointment, tenure line or retreat rights in the home program; and, who is familiar with the standards for doctoral research. The expertise of the extra-departmental member must be appropriate to the student's dissertation work. The dissertation director and advisory committee should be identified as early as possible, and by the time course work is completed at the latest. The dissertation advisory committee membership must be submitted to the Graduate School as a condition for attaining candidacy. The committee membership may be changed up to the time the dissertation prospectus is submitted. After Graduate School approval of the dissertation prospectus, any changes in committee membership will require written justification.
A Ph.D. applicant will be advanced to the rank of Ph.D. Candidate by the Graduate School upon the recommendation of the department and completion of the following requirements: 1) Approval of the Plan of Work by the Graduate School; 2) completion of didactic course work, or approximately fifty credits, as required by the Plan of Work; 3) satisfactory completion of the Qualifying Examination(s); 4) identification of the membership of the student's dissertation advisory committee. (The Advisory Committee membership may be changed prior to submission of an approved prospectus to the Graduate School.) The department shall submit the Recommendation for Doctor of Philosophy Candidacy Status form to the Graduate School to recommend advancing the student to degree Candidacy.
The Doctor of Philosophy degree requires that students register for Candidate Status during the preparation of the dissertation: Doctoral Dissertation Research and Direction I, II, III, and IV (courses numbered 9991, 9992, 9993, and 9994 offered under various subject area codes, respectively), in consecutive academic year semesters. Registration for these four Candidate Status courses equates to thirty credits. If a student has registered for all four Candidate Status courses but has not completed the dissertation requirements, the student may register in Candidate Maintenance status (9995) until the requirements are completed, the time limit for the degree is reached, or the students withdraws from the program. Registration in Candidate Maintenance Status is required in all semesters in which the student uses University resources, including the semester in which the student defends the dissertation. The Candidate Maintenance fee is equivalent to the Registration Fee plus the Omnibus Fee for one graduate credit and confers full-time registration status.
Prior to initiating doctoral research, the Ph.D. Candidate must prepare a prospectus of the proposed dissertation research. In some departments, oral presentation of the prospectus constitutes the required Oral Examination. The student must submit the Doctoral Dissertation: Prospectus and Record of Approval form with the prospectus. The prospectus and form must be approved by the dissertation advisory committee and the departmental Graduate Director, before being forwarded to the Graduate School for approval.
Successful completion of an Oral Examination is a requirement for the Ph.D. degree. The Oral Examination may be administered as part of the Qualifying Examination (see previous discussion of Qualifying Examination) or as part of the prospectus meeting, a lecture or in some other departmentally-approved format in which the student presents information orally and answers questions posed by the student's committee. The committee for the Oral Examination must be composed of three members of the student's department; a fourth member, outside the department, is optional. The members of the Oral Examination committee may also serve as the student's dissertation advisory committee, but this is not required. All members must have graduate faculty status. If the Oral Examination is part of the prospectus meeting, the results of the Exam are to be reported to the Graduate School via the Doctoral Dissertation: Prospectus and Record of Approval form. The results of the Oral Examination administered in all other contexts should be reported to the Graduate School via the Report on Doctor of Philosophy Oral Examination form.
The dissertation should be selected and planned with care; it may be of a research, expository or critical nature. It must be an original work, in or related to the student's major field of specialization. Work submitted for credit in other courses cannot be used in fulfilling dissertation requirements. Neither the results of the research nor the publication of findings may be restricted by any non-University agency. The results of the research may be published prior to submission and acceptance of the dissertation, with the approval of the dissertation adviser.
Members of a doctoral dissertation advisory committee must read, approve and sign the dissertation. Such approval includes all academic and professional evaluations and judgments as to originality, adequacy, accuracy, significance, methodology, justification or conclusions and correctness of style. Approval shall not be recorded until the work and manuscripts are fully verified and accepted.
Candidates preparing manuscripts are instructed to follow closely the Graduate School regulations governing the format of the dissertation. Format requirements and format templates are available on the Graduate School website. Before proceeding to the Defense stage, the student must submit the dissertation to the Graduate School for a format check. The dissertation may be submitted electronically to http://dissertations.umi.com/wayne or as hard copy. The dissertation format and appearance must be acceptable to the Graduate School before the Dissertation Public Lecture Presentation-Defense shall be authorized. The Graduate School Ph.D. Office staff is available to assist advisers and students who have format questions or problems.
Inclusion of Publications in the Dissertation
In such instances where doctoral students have published work in discipline-appropriate refereed journals, and when the doctoral committee approves, these published materials may be incorporated into the dissertation. For papers so included, the student must be the principal author and/or have made the major contribution to the published work. In cases of co-authored material, the text of the dissertation must make clear (e.g., in the summary and conclusion) to the reader the original contribution of the author. If published materials are included, references to them in the other dissertation sections may not need to be as detailed as is required in dissertations which do not incorporate published materials.
When a co-author is someone other than the candidate and the adviser, it is recommended that permission to include the publication in the dissertation be secured from the other author(s). Students are advised that incorporation of materials published elsewhere requires permission of the copyright holder.
Students must format a published article to conform to the body of the dissertation. As well, all remaining sections of the dissertation (e.g., abstract, introduction, conclusions) must conform to Graduate School format requirements.
Two weeks before the planned Defense, each dissertation advisory committee member must have certified in writing, via the Dissertation Public Lecture Presentation-Defense Final Report form, that the dissertation has been read and approved for the Defense. The Defense cannot be held without such certification.
The Graduate Examiner is the presiding officer at the Defense and is responsible for its conduct. Representing the Graduate Council and the Graduate School, the Graduate Examiner serves as an advocate for the student. The role of the Graduate Examiner may be assumed by the dissertation adviser or an external member of the committee. Alternatively, the student (or any committee member) may request that the Graduate School appoint a Graduate Examiner from outside the committee.
The Doctoral Dissertation Public Lecture Presentation-Defense has three phases, as follows:
Public Lecture Presentation-Defense
In the public lecture or presentation, the candidate is expected to share the results of his or her dissertation research with the audience and the dissertation committee. This lecture or presentation may vary in length depending on the circumstances and discipline. At the end of this public lecture or presentation, members of the audience, as well as the dissertation committee members, are encouraged to direct questions pertaining to the presentation or research to the candidate. The Graduate Examiner moderates the questioning.
The Dissertation Committee's Meeting with the Candidate
At the conclusion of the public presentation and defense, the dissertation committee members will meet privately with the candidate to pose further questions about the candidate's research or to address issues related to the dissertation manuscript. The Graduate Examiner presides at this meeting.
Evaluation of the Candidate's Performance
Upon the completion of the public presentation and defense and the private meeting, the dissertation committee members, in the absence of the candidate and the audience, discuss the candidate's performance and decide whether or not he/she has passed the defense. The Graduate Examiner chairs the discussion and communicates the result to the candidate, and subsequently, to the Graduate School via the Dissertation Public Lecture Presentation-Defense Final Report form.
If the candidate fails the Defense, the advisor and committee will submit to the Graduate School and the College written description of the areas of weakness and what the student has been instructed to do to correct these. If the candidate will need to make extensive corrections to the manuscript (ones requiring more than ten days), he/she will not be passed. Candidates must wait one semester before holding another defense. The second defense shall be considered final.
The submission of the approved dissertation concludes work pursuant to the doctoral degree. In essence such manuscripts represent a tangible summation of the many hours spent in study and research to acquire a higher education. For this reason such scholarly documents must evidence only the highest standards of research and writing. They must show consistency in punctuation, style and format. It is official policy that acceptance of a dissertation, as well as certification of a candidate for a degree, shall not be granted unless a manuscript is technically correct in format and in a form suitable in all respects for publication.
Within two weeks after the Defense, the corrected dissertation must be submitted. Manuscripts may be submitted electronically to http://dissertations.umi.com/wayne or in hard copy, CD or diskette format (in Adobe PDF read-only format) to the Ph.D. Office of the Graduate School. The signature page must also be submitted to the Graduate School.
To insure publication, doctoral candidates are assessed a fee and the University arranges to have the dissertation published. Filing a Doctoral Dissertation Publishing Agreement form is required.
Dissertation Copyrighting Charge
Copyright service, provided by Proquest, is available upon request. The student shall pay the amount necessary to cover the cost of copyrighting.
Students wishing to obtain bound dissertation copies for personal use must select a bindery and pay the binding charges for these.
Information regarding completion of additional forms is available from the Graduate School office and website. The Ph.D. degree will be certified only upon receipt of the approved dissertation and the reconciliation of the student's Plan of Work and transcripts.
Each candidate for a degree or certificate must file a Graduate Application for Degree by the end of the fourth week of classes in the semester in which he/she expects to complete the requirements for the degree. See Calendar, Academic: 2006 - 2008. If an application for a degree was filed for a previous term in which the student did not graduate, a new application is necessary.
Information concerning commencement announcements, caps and gowns, invitations, tickets, time and place, assembling and other relevant items will be mailed to the graduates by the Commencement Office prior to the event. Candidates for advanced degrees are requested and expected to attend the commencement at which the University confers upon them the honor of the degree earned.
A student who wishes to request an exception to any of the Ph.D. program minimum requirements should file a written, detailed petition with his/her adviser. If the adviser approves the petition, he/she will forward it, along with his/her recommendation, to the Chairperson of the Departmental Graduate Committee. If approved by the department, the petition will be forwarded to the Graduate School. All exceptions must ultimately be approved by the Graduate School. Appeals of decisions follow the same process; appeals of Graduate School decisions may be presented to the Provost.
Students have a seven-year time limit to complete all requirements for the Ph.D. degree. The seven-year period begins with the end of the semester during which the student was admitted to doctoral study and was completing work toward meeting the requirements for the degree. In order to request a time extension, a student may petition his/her adviser. If the adviser supports the request, it is forwarded to the chairperson of the departmental Graduate Committee, and if approved, it is reviewed by the Graduate School. The petition must include information concerning the student's currency in his or her field, a timeline for completing the program, and a description of the student's progress toward completion. The student's annual reviews must also be submitted. If students do not complete the program within ten years of their applicant date with approved time extensions, the qualifying examination(s) must be repeated. Students who have been granted time extensions must complete all program requirements within fifteen years of the applicant date.
In the program leading to the doctor's degree, up to forty-eight quarter or thirty-two semester credits of `B' or better graduate credit earned prior to the student's admission as a doctoral applicant may be applied toward the degree without regard to lapse of time. Credit earned beyond thirty-two credits may not be over ten years old at the time of admission. Credit earned after acceptance as a Ph.D. applicant may not be over seven years old at the time the degree is conferred, except when, on the recommendation of the adviser, up to ten credits previously earned at Wayne State University may be specified for revalidation by examination. In the event that any courses have been previously revalidated in connection with the earning of the master's degree, these shall be counted as a part of the total ten. Time extensions beyond these limitations are authorized only for conditions which are clearly beyond the student's control.
The Ph.D. Foreign Language Requirement is a matter of departmental option. Students are advised to contact the department in which they intend to major in order to determine the nature of the Ph.D. foreign language requirement, if any, for that discipline.
Doctoral students should bear in mind that most departments reserve the right to require foreign language proficiency for any Ph.D. student pursuing research which would benefit from the use of foreign language materials, even though other students in the same Ph.D. program are not required to establish foreign language competence.
The Ph.D. requirement of one year of residence is met by completion of at least six graduate credits in course work, exclusive of dissertation, in each of two successive semesters. The spring/summer semester may be excluded from the definition of successive semesters. Additional residence requirements may be imposed by the Ph.D.-granting departments. The student should contact the major department to determine what residence requirements must be satisfied.
In the experimental sciences for which it can be demonstrated that a student's research must be completed on campus, the residence requirement for the Ph.D. degree may be met by the dissertation director's written certification that the student has been in full-time residence for at least two successive semesters and one summer session. In this latter case, a count of course credits is not required for the fulfillment of the residence requirement, but specific dates of residence must be furnished.
In addition, the Ph.D. residence requirements stipulate that the student must elect at least thirty credits in graduate work exclusive of dissertation direction at the University.