Rich history
- Washington State University, the land-grant institution of the state of Washington, was founded in 1890. The first class of twenty-one students enrolled on January 13, 1892. Since then, the University has grown steadily in size and diversity into an institution of nine colleges and a Graduate School, with a total enrollment for all campus locations of over 20,000.
- The main campus of nearly 600 acres, located at Pullman in the Palouse region of southeastern Washington, encompasses one of the largest residential universities west of the Mississippi, with more than 60 percent of all students living on or near campus.
- In addition to the main campus, Washington State University offers courses of study at three regional campuses in Spokane, Tri-Cities (Richland), and Vancouver. Further, the University maintains over 5,000 acres of farmland and eight agricultural research centers located at various points in the state.
Challenging degree programs
- Washington State University offers 69 masters and 47 doctoral degrees. Permanent tenure track faculty numbers approximately 850 and is drawn from the faculties of the nine academic colleges. Approximately 80 percent of all full-time graduate students hold positions as teaching, research, and/or staff assistants.
- The University granted its first graduate degree, a Master of Science in Botany, to William Hurford Lawrence in 1902. Graduate degrees were granted occasionally in history, economics, English, and the sciences through the first thirty years of the century, but not until the 1930s did the Graduate Division begin to emphasize the importance of graduate education and coordinate graduate programs.
- The Dean of the Graduate School administers the diverse graduate programs throughout the University within the policies and regulations established by the Graduate Studies Committe and the Faculty Senate.
World-class faculty
- The faculty is primarily responsible for directing graduate education, and various programs, departments, and colleges elect the members of the Graduate Faculty, basing their decision on the nominees’ accomplishments as teachers, scholars, and researchers.
- The Graduate Studies Committee of the Faculty Senate, composed of faculty members and graduate students, assists the Graduate School in the establishment of the policies and procedures of the Graduate School.
- The Graduate School is committed to helping graduate students become learned scholars, effective researchers, and masters of disciplinary and interdisciplinary knowledge. To these ends, the faculty emphasizes both independent scholarship and research, and classroom learning. State-of-the-art equipment for the conduct of research is present in the research centers and academic departments. Student enrollments in graduate classes and seminars are limited, ensuring an active exchange between student and professor.
- The close relationships between students and faculty members and common aims of all involved in graduate education create an atmosphere that stimulates intellectual curiosity. The individualized nature of graduate education at Washington State University also provides students with considerable flexibility in designing programs of study, and broadens the possibilities for unique creative endeavors.
Contact the Graduate School
P.O. Box 641030
Pullman, WA 99164-1030
(509) 335-6424
E-mail: gradsch@wsu.edu
www.gradschool.wsu.edu
List of Graduate Degrees
See also Degree
Programs for links to departments.
Programs of study leading to graduate degrees are offered
in the following fields of study:
[S=Spokane, T=Tri Cities, V=Vancouver; all degrees are offered on Pullman campus unless *]
Accounting, MAcct
Agribusiness, MA
Agriculture, MS
Agricultural Economics, MA, PhD
American Studies, MA, PhD
Animal Sciences, MS, PhD
Anthropology, MA, PhD
Apparel, Merchandising, and Textiles, MA
Architecture, MS, MArch (S)
Biochemistry, MS, PhD
Biology, MS (T)
Biotechnology, MS (S)
Botany, MS, PhD
Business Administration, MBA (T,V); PhD
Chemical Engineering, MS (T); PhD
Chemistry, MS, PhD
Civil Engineering, MS (T); PhD
Communication, MA, PhD
Computer Engineering, MS
Computer Science, MS (T,V); PhD
Criminal Justice, MA (S); PhD
Crop Science, MS, PhD
Design, DDes (S*)
Economics, MA, PhD
Education
EdM, MIT (V,T)
MA (T)
EdD, PhD
Electrical and Computer Engineering, PhD
Electrical Engineering, MS (T)
Engineering, MS
Engineering Management, MEngMgt (S,T,V)*
Engineering Science, PhD
English, MA, PhD
Entomology, MS, PhD
Environmental and Natural Resource Sciences, PhD
Environmental Engineering, MS (T)
Environmental Science, MS (T,V)
Exercise Science, MS (S*)
Fine Arts, MFA
Food Science, MS, PhD
Foreign Languages and Cultures, MA
Genetics and Cell Biology, MS, PhD
Geology, MS, PhD
Health Policy and Administration, MHPA (S*)
History, MA (V); PhD
Horticulture, MS, PhD
Human Development, MA
Human Nutrition, MS (S)
Individual Interdisciplinary, PhD
Interior Design, MA (S*)
Landscape Architecture, MS (S)
Materials Science, PhD
Materials Science and Engineering, MS
Mathematics, MS, PhD
Mechanical Engineering, MS (T,V); PhD
Microbiology, MS, PhD
Molecular Plant Sciences, MS, PhD
Music, MA
Natural Resource Sciences, MS
Natural Resources, MS
Neuroscience, MS, PhD
Nursing, MNurs (T,V)
Nutrition, PhD
Pharmacology and Toxicology, MS, PhD
Philosophy, MA
Physics, MS, PhD
Plant Pathology, MS, PhD
Political Science, MA, PhD
Psychology, MS, PhD
Public Affairs, MPA (V*)
Regional Planning, MRP
Sociology, MA, PhD
Soil Science, MS, PhD
Speech and Hearing Sciences, MA (S*)
Statistics, MS
Veterinary Science, MS, PhD
Zoology, MS, PhD
The above fields of study are offered through the Colleges as indicated below:
College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences
Agribusiness, MA
Agriculture, MS
Agricultural Economics, MA, PhD
Animal Sciences, MS, PhD
Apparel, Merchandising, and Textiles, MA
Crop Science, MS, PhD
Economics, MA, PhD
Entomology, MS, PhD
Environmental and Natural Resource Sciences, PhD
Food Science, MS, PhD
Horticulture, MS, PhD
Human Development, MA
Human Nutrition, MS (S)
Interior Design, MA (S*)
Landscape Architecture, MS (S)
Molecular Plant Sciences, MS, PhD
Natural Resource Sciences, MS
Natural Resources, MS
Nutrition, PhD
Plant Pathology, MS, PhD
Soil Science, MS, PhD
Statistics, MS
College of Business
Accounting, MAcct
Business Administration, MBA (T,V); PhD
College of Education
Education
EdM, MIT (T,V)
MA (T)
EdD, PhD
College of Engineering and Architecture
Architecture, MS, MArch (S)
Chemical Engineering, MS (T); PhD
Civil Engineering, MS (T); PhD
Computer Engineering, MS
Computer Science, MS (T,V); PhD
Electrical and Computer Engineering, PhD
Electrical Engineering, MS (T)
Engineering, MS
Engineering Management, MEngMgt (S,T,V)*
Engineering Science, PhD
Environmental Engineering, MS (T)
Materials Science, PhD
Materials Science and Engineering, MS
Mechanical Engineering, MS (T,V); PhD
Intercollegiate College of Nursing
Nursing, M Nurs (T,V)
College of Liberal Arts
American Studies, MA, PhD
Anthropology, MA, PhD
Communication, MA, PhD
Criminal Justice, MA (S); PhD
English, MA, PhD
Fine Arts, MFA
Foreign Languages and Cultures, MA
History, MA (V), PhD
Music, MA
Philosophy, MA
Political Science, MA, PhD
Public Affairs, MPA (V*)
Psychology, MS, PhD
Sociology, MA, PhD
Speech and Hearing Sciences, MA (S*)
College of Pharmacy
Health Policy and Administration, MHPA (S*)
Neuroscience, MS, PhD
Pharmacology and Toxicology, MS, PhD
College of Sciences
Biochemistry, MS, PhD
Biology, MS (T)
Biotechnology, MS (S)
Botany, MS, PhD
Chemistry, MS, PhD
Environmental Science, MS (T,V)
Genetics and Cell Biology, MS, PhD
Geology, MS, PhD
Materials Science, PhD
Mathematics, MS, PhD
Microbiology, MS, PhD
Pharmacology and Toxicology, MS, PhD
Physics, MS, PhD
Regional Planning, MRP
Statistics, MS
Zoology, MS, PhD
College of Veterinary Medicine
Neuroscience, MS, PhD
Veterinary Science, MS, PhD
Interdisciplinary fields
Design, DDes (S*)
Engineering Management, M EngMgt (S,T,V)*
Environmental and Natural Resource Sciences, PhD
Exercise Science, MS (S*)
Individual Interdisciplinary, PhD
Materials Science, PhD
Molecular Plant Sciences, MS, PhD
Neuroscience, MS, PhD
Pharmacology and Toxicology, MS, PhD
Public Affairs, MPA (V*)
Statistics, MS
Certificates
Exercise Science (WSU Spokane)
Instructional Design
Interdisciplinary Environmental Biogeochemistry
Optoelectronics
Protein Biotechnology
School Psychology (WSU Spokane, Eastern Washington
University)
Doctor of Design
- The Doctor of Design is offered through the Interdisciplinary Program at the Interdisciplinary Design Institute at WSU Spokane. The program is a collaborative effort among the School of Architecture, the Department of Interior Design and the Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture.
- The Doctorate of Design (DDes) program is intended to advance both the “art” and “science” of design within the philosophical and pedagogical framework of interdisciplinary inquiry, critical synthesis, and problem solving. At the same level of academic standards as the PhD program, the DDes focuses on applied research and emphasizes the advancement of knowledge in the design disciplines. It is intended for persons who are well versed and professionally advanced in the design profession and who seek to make original contributions to their fields.
Doctor of Philosophy
- The degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), the highest earned academic degree offered by American universities, is awarded in recognition of distinctive scholarship and original contributions to knowledge. Thus, although formal courses are required in programs leading to the Doctor of Philosophy, the award is made primarily for creative scholarship rather than for the accumulation of credits in courses.
- The Board of Regents of Washington State University
has authorized the granting of the degree Doctor of
Philosophy in 42 academic fields.
Study for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy falls into two rather clearly defined periods, the pre-candidate period and the candidate period. - During the pre-candidate period the student acquires most of the preparation necessary for research, completes most of the formal courses, acquires the necessary background expected in the chosen field, and satisfies departmental requirements.
- In some departments, the student may be required to pass a qualifying examination; in some, research may be begun during this period. The precandidate period terminates when the student passes the preliminary examination, thereby becoming a candidate for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy.
- The candidate period is devoted largely to research and the preparation of the dissertation. During this period, the student demonstrates the qualities of a creative scholar. It is at this time that the relationship between the advisor and the candidate reaches its maximum development. This period terminates when the candidate passes the final examination, including defense of the dissertation, and has the dissertation accepted by the Graduate School.
Doctor of Education
- The program of the Doctor of Education (EdD) degree—different from the Doctor of Philosophy degree that may be earned in Education—is designed to provide training for students interested in the practice of education.
- Demonstrated ability in some service phase of education is a prerequisite to candidacy for this degree. There is no foreign language reading requirement for this degree, but the course requirements and procedures are similar to those for the Doctor of Philosophy degree in education.
Master of Arts and Master
of Science
- The degrees of Master of Arts (MA) and Master of Science (MS) are awarded to graduate students for demonstration of substantial scholarly achievement beyond the baccalaureate level. This achievement represents more than the mere accumulation of additional credit, for the student is expected to demonstrate an integrated knowledge of the chosen discipline.
- In most departments the student is expected to demonstrate research competence in the form of a thesis. In some departments, a non-thesis option is available by which the thesis requirement may be replaced with additional course work and a special project.
Additional Master's Degrees
Master in Teaching
Master of Accounting
Master of Architecture
Master of Business Administration
Master of Education
Master of Engineering Management
Master of Fine Arts
Master of Health Policy and Administration (S*)
Master of Nursing (T,V)
Master of Public Affairs (V*)
Master of Regional Planning
Libraries
- The Libraries system is an integral part of WSU’s educational resources. The Libraries’ collection contains in excess of 7 million items including over 2 million volumes and more than 28,000 serials publications (scientific, scholarly, and specialized journals and periodicals); regional and national newspapers; foreign, federal, state, and municipal documents; United Nations publications; and other materials in a variety of print, electronic, multimedia, and micro formats.
- The Libraries’ online catalog, Griffin, provides access to information on books, journals, documents, media materials and select electronic resources available through the Libraries. Summit, a joint catalog that WSU shares with 33 academic libraries in Washington and Oregon, provides an online requesting service for book delivery at participating campuses.
- The Libraries provide Web access to a wide variety of electronic indexes and abstracts, as well as thousands of full-text electronic journals and books. Librarians provide personal assistance and online and email reference to users of these traditional and electronic collections, offer instruction on use of library resources, work with teaching faculty to develop the collections, and provide access to materials from other libraries.
- The Holland/Terrell Library, the largest of six Pullmancampus libraries, provides extensive collections in the social sciences, business, fine arts, and the humanities, as well as sophisticated service components designed to assist students, faculty, and researchers. Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections contain rich collections of primary resource materials including books, manuscripts, maps, photographs, and digital collections to support study and research in a number of fields, including Pacific Northwest history, modern British literature, regional publishing, veterinary history, agricultural history, wildlife and outdoor recreation, WSU history, and other subjects.
- Media Materials & Reserves houses equipment and provides CDs, DVDs, videotapes, films, slides, audio tapes and other media for classroom instruction and for personal checkout, as well as housing course Reserves. Special media collections include the WSU-UI Regional Media Collection, the McCaw Classic Feature Films, Gnaedinger Historical Films, Pitzer Classic Radio Tapes, and others.
- The Owen Science and Engineering Library supports study and research in the pure and applied sciences with substantial traditional and electronic collections in these disciplines. The Owen Library’s wireless Commons has Microsoft Office workstations, fast Internet connections, hotwired carrels, a reference/info center, and collaborative learning areas.
- The collections of the George W. Fischer Agricultural
Sciences Library in Johnson Hall Annex emphasize support
for plant and entomological sciences.
The biomedical collections and services offered by the Health Sciences Library, located in Wegner Hall, primarily support the instructional and research needs of the College of Veterinary Medicine and the College of Pharmacy. - The George B. Brain Education Library in Cleveland Hall offers a wide range of materials and services to meet research and instructional needs from preschool through higher education and adult education.
- The Architecture Library, which supports programs in
the School of Architecture, is located in Carpenter
Hall.
In addition, library facilities and services are available at the Spokane, Tri-Cities, and Vancouver regional campuses, and at the Intercollegiate College of Nursing (Spokane) and the WSU Energy Library (Olympia). Library services for students enrolled in the Distance Degree Program or other distance learning programs are available via toll-free telephone, email, and/or web-based services. - The WSU Libraries are open throughout the year, although hours vary during intersessions and holidays. Visit www.wsulibs.wsu.edu for detailed information on library resources, services and hours.
Computing Services/ Information Technology
- Academic Computing Services For information about these services please contact Phil Scuderi, Academic Services Manager at 335-0408.
- Academic Computing Facility (ACF) For additional information, contact the Computing Information Center (335-0411). Various handouts are available free of charge; certain other manuals and publications are sold at the Personal Computing Center. Training courses, both free and fee based, are available.
Collections
- The Minnie Barstow Drucker Memorial Collection of Oriental art is maintained by the Department of Apparel, Merchandising, Design, and Textiles. The Drucker Collection consists of Oriental furniture, accessories, art, textiles, and costumes. The collection was given to the University in 1944 by the late Arthur Eilert Drucker in memory of his wife. The Chinese, Korean, and Japanese artifacts were collected during the years the Druckers made the Orient their home. The collection is in storage in the Holland Library and managed by the Apparel, Merchandising, and Textiles Program. Contact the Department of Apparel, Merchandising, Design, and Textiles, 335-3823.
- The Historic Textiles and Costume Collection contains approximately 4,000 items of women’s, children’s, and men’s clothing and costume accessories from 1935 to the present, and quilts and woven coverlets. It also contains a limited number of ethnic textiles and costumes from around the world. The collection is housed in Kruegel Hall. Contact the Department of Apparel, Merchandising, Design, and Textiles, 335-3823.
- One of the largest insect collections in the Pacific Northwest, the Maurice T. James Entomological Collection houses over one and a half million insect specimens and an extensive working library. Adults and immature stages of all insect groups and many related arthropods are represented with particular strengths in the flies, beetles, and butterflies. Primarily of regional significance, the collection also includes considerable material from the New World tropics, eastern North America, and Europe. The collection functions essentially as a research facility by providing specimens on loan to recognized scientists worldwide, by offering identification services to University extension entomologists, and by serving as a repository of type specimens and other materials. The collection room is located in the Food Science and Human Nutrition building, Room 157. Contact Dr. Richard Zack, 335-3394, to arrange a tour and presentation.
- The Mycological Herbarium was founded by Frederick D. Heald, the first chair of the Department of Plant Pathology, in 1915. It now contains more than 70,000 specimens of fungi, including representative materials of all the major groups from the slime molds and true molds to the larger, fleshy mushrooms. The parasitic fungi of northwestern North America have been emphasized; however, through exchange and purchase, representative materials of all groups from all over the world have been incorporated. Loans are freely available to individuals associated with recognized botanical institutions anywhere in the world. The Herbarium is maintained by the Department of Plant Pathology and is located on the third floor of Johnson Hall. Specialists wishing to utilize the facilities are welcome and are asked only to inform the Department of Plant Pathology, 335-9541, in advance.
- The Henry W. Smith Soil Monolith Collection contains more than 150 preserved soil profiles, some as much as eight feet in length, representing soils from all of the geographic regions in the State of Washington and nine of the eleven soil Orders in Soil Taxonomy. Soils that are particularly well represented in the collection are those of the Palouse region and those from eastern and central Washington that contain layers of volcanic ash from the many prehistoric and historic eruptions of volcanoes in the Cascade Region. The collection is the work of Dr. Henry W. Smith, Emeritus Professor of Soils at Washington State University. The soil monoliths constitute a very valuable resource for both teaching and research within the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences. The collection is located in Johnson Hall 114, and may be viewed from an observation window any time the building is open. Persons interested in touring the collection should contact Dr. Alan Busacca at 335-1859.
College of Liberal Arts
- Permanent exhibits at the Museum of Anthropology illustrate topics in human biological and cultural evolution and the culture of the native people of the Columbian Plateau. The museum houses archaeological collections from the interior Northwest that represent a record of the last 11,000 years of human occupation. This is the most extensive collection of archaeological materials from the Columbian Plateau, and it forms an important research resource for those interested in this region’s archaeological history.
- Research collections representing faculty archaeological research in the Southwestern U.S. are also maintained. In addition, there are important collections of historic period Native American basketry from several parts of western North America.
- The museum located in 110 College Hall is open Monday through Friday during the academic year, plus selected Saturdays. About 4,500 people visit the museum each year. The museum staff includes Dr. William Andrefsky Jr., Director, and Dr. Mary Collins, Associate Director.
College of Sciences
- The Charles R. Conner Museum, located in Abelson Hall, exhibits fish, amphibians, reptiles, and several hundred mounted birds and mammals, including deer, antelope, mountain sheep, mountain goat, cougar, and small species. The display collection is open to the public from 8:00 am-5:00 pm weekdays.
- The Culver Display, located in Webster, houses the Jacklin Petrified Wood Collection. This spectacular collection contains more than 2,000 cut and polished specimens of petrified wood from all major localities in the western United States. It is the largest display of its kind in the western United States. Also included in the Collection is a large selection of cut and polished agate, goedes, and dinosaur bone. The Culver Collection includes over 100 classic rock and mineral specimens from localities throughout the world. Both the Jacklin and Culver Collections may be viewed weekdays, 8:00 am-5:00 pm. Tours may be arranged by calling the Department of Geology, 335-3009.
- The Marion Ownbey Herbarium is an internationally recognized resource for research, teaching, and service. The Herbarium houses 300,000 plant specimens, primarily from the Pacific Northwest, but including worldwide collections. In addition to native vascular plants and weeds, the Herbarium contains mosses, liverworts, lichens, and special collections of seeds and cultivated plants. The Herbarium is located in Heald G-9 and is open weekdays from 8:00 am-5:00 pm and by appointment, 335-3250.
College of Veterinary Medicine
- The Worthman Veterinary Anatomy Teaching Museum features several hundred specimens of mammals and several exhibits of fowl. The collection consists primarily of domesticated animals, since they represent the species most important to veterinary medical education and research, yet a few wild species are included also.
- The only one of its kind in the nation, the Museum offers a unique learning environment. It is used extensively for teaching purposes in classes of anatomy, radiology, and surgery, and it serves as a reference tool for current research by veterinary medicine faculty members.
- The Museum is located on the second floor of Wegner Hall. For information, call 335-6621.
Museum of Art
- The Museum of Art was established in 1974 around a core collection of American paintings assembled by former President E. O. Holland and former WSU Regent Charles Orton. Dedicated to serving the educational purposes of WSU and the people of the State of Washington, the Museum operates a program which embraces a wide variety of changing exhibitions ranging from antiquity to the contemporary, from design and photography to sculpture and painting, by internationally, nationally and regionally known artists. Many of the exhibits originated by the Museum staff have toured the nation.
- The Museum offers a wide variety of speakers, films,
and special programs throughout the year.
The Museum’s collection of American 19th and 20th century paintings, drawings, and prints has grown in the past years through financial donations and important gifts from collectors and alumni in the Northwest. In 1975, the Museum of Art was a founding member of the Washington Art Consortium, a cooperative venture by four small museums to build a major national collection of works on paper by American artists. The Museum’s consortium activities have provided an added focus to its own collecting of works on paper. - The Museum’s programs are free and open to the public. For information, call 335-1910.