| Semester of Graduation | Application Available | Application for Degree Deadline (to avoid late fee) | Final Exam Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring 2024 | 10/9/2023 | 3/1/2024 | 4/19/2024 |
| Summer 2024 | 1/1/2024 | 5/31/2024 | 7/26/2024 |
| Fall 2024 | 6/10/2024 | 10/4/2024 | 11/22/2024 |
| Spring 2025 | 10/14/2024 | 3/7/2025 | 4/18/2025 |
| Summer 2025 | 1/1/2025 | 5/30/2025 | 7/25/2025 |
- Scheduling Form: Doctoral/Thesis Final, Non-thesis Final, and Preliminary Exams (pdf)
- Graduate School Policy: Master’s Final Examination
- Graduate School Policy: Doctoral Final Examination
- Deadlines and Procedures for Master’s Degree (pdf)
- Deadlines and Procedures for Doctoral Degree (pdf)
- Thesis and Dissertation Formatting and Submission (via Proquest) Requirements (pdf)
- Thesis and Dissertation Word Template (Word Doc)
- Thesis/Dissertation Latex Template
- Thesis/Dissertation Final Acceptance Checklist (pdf)
- Review and refer to the documents and policies provided above.
- In addition, review your program’s graduate student handbook for details on final exams.
- Crop Science and Plant Pathology programs require a separately scheduled final seminar.
- Please aim to give your final draft to your committee at least one month in advance of the anticipated final exam date, to give them adequate time to review before your scheduling form is due.
- Submit your application for degree by the deadline noted above to avoid late fee. The Graduate School will audit your Program of Study to ensure all coursework has been completed, and this will be noted on your to-do list in myWSU; please ignore the degree audit in myWSU – it is not functional for grad students. If you do not complete your degree requirements as planned, you may email gradschool@wsu.edu to update your application for degree to a later term (your application for degree fee is good for up to 1 calendar year).
- Students must also register for commencement and order regalia by the deadlines. Participation in the commencement ceremony is not a guarantee or an indication of degree completion. Names appearing in the commencement program follow the application for degree term; summer graduates will appear in the December commencement program. Doctoral students should coordinate with their hooding faculty member and remind them they too must also register for commencement and have arranged regalia.
- You must be enrolled in a minimum of 2 credits of 700/702/800 in the term you take your final exam.
- Exam scheduling forms (pdf) are due no less than 10 working days in advance of the selected exam date. Completion of the scheduling form by the Advisory Committee indicates that a typed final draft, suitable in format and content for submission to the Graduate School, the WSU Libraries, and ProQuest, has been given their preliminary approval. Send your completed and signed form to your Academic Coordinator for upload to myWSU > Graduate School. A draft of your thesis/dissertation must also be loaded to ProQuest at this time.
- Send a PDF of your draft thesis/dissertation (or non-thesis report) to your Academic Coordinator (marshdj@wsu.edu) at the same time you submit your scheduling form (this is in addition to the thesis/dissertation PDF submitted to ProQuest).
- Zoom arrangements: As you know, your graduate program has faculty/students at statewide locations, and therefore all final exams should have ZOOM availability for the event, as well as for those committee members who need to attend via ZOOM. For meeting security, it is recommended the advisor personally make the ZOOM arrangements via their own account in order to ensure full host control of the meeting from their laptop or device—or at the very least, the advisor should be set as ‘alternate host’ in order they can assume full-host control. Please remind your advisor to do this and include Deb Marsh on the invitation— and earlier is better so the ZOOM details can be included with the preliminary exam announcement to the department.
- Remember, assistantships and associated tuition waivers are contingent upon continued full-time enrollment and appointment for the duration of the term: Aug 16-Dec 31 or Jan 1-May 15.
- Summer exams are an extra expense for you or your advisor; do your best to finish during the regular exam deadlines for Spring and Fall academic semesters if/when already receiving a waiver.
Interim exams:
- An Interim Final Exam may be scheduled in extenuating circumstances. The interim exam provides a few extra days after the regular final exam deadline for the term to conduct a final exam without requiring enrollment/tuition in the following semester, however the degree is not awarded until the end of the following term. The currently known interim exam windows are:
- Spring 2024 (April 29 – May 10, 2024)
- Summer 2024 (July 29 – August 16, 2024)
- To schedule an interim exam, you must use the interim exam scheduling form (pdf). The committee chair must provide a rationale why the exam can only be scheduled during the interim period. The scheduling form is due no less than 10 working days in advance of the selected date. The student must be enrolled for a minimum of 2 credits of 700/702/800 in the term immediately preceding the proposed interim examination. Additionally, the student must have applied for graduation for the term following the interim exam before submitting the interim final examination scheduling form. To update and avoid re-paying the graduation fee, email gradschool@wsu.edu, include ID number and request your current application for degree be updated to the next term (specify term, e.g. Summer 2024).
- International students concerned about their status or I-20 with an interim exam should consult with a WSU International Programs advisor.
- Students may still register and walk in commencement as planned but their name will appear in the commencement program according to their updated application for degree. Diplomas can be expected 8-10 weeks after the end of the following term.
- If necessary, after successful examination, a letter of candidacy for employment purposes can be requested from the Graduate School indicating the student has completed all their degree requirements.
International Students:
- Reduced Credit Load (RCL) status allows an international student to enroll part time (if not on assistantship) for the purpose of defense, i.e. less than 10 credits in the Fall or Spring, or less than 3 credits in the Summer. Contact the WSU International Programs office in advance for details and application. All coursework must be finished to be eligible for RCL (unless your final defense seminar is for credit). International students will still be required to pay health insurance.
- F-1 international students interested in Optional Practical Training (OPT) should visit with a WSU International Programs Student Advisor during open advising at least 4 months in advance of their exam date to strategize their OPT application. The OPT application window opens 90 days prior to program end date (final exam or last date of assistantship). Once the OPT application is submitted, it takes about 30-45 days for approval; likewise, J-1 international students interested in post Academic Training should do the same.
After the Exam:
Items due within 10 working days of final exam to the WSU Graduate School:
Thesis/Dissertation Final Acceptance Checklist.
Instructions for students to upload completed forms to myWSU are explained here.