GRAD 7200 - Specialist Project

The Specialist Project is designed for the units offering the specialist degree. Candidates for the specialist degree may elect to write a project in their field of specialization under the supervision of a project committee. Prior to the first registration in 7200, Specialist Project, a Permission to Elect form (www.wmich.edu/grad/forms.html) must be completed and the student must meet with the Coordinator of Theses and Dissertations in the Graduate College so that the student is informed about the regulations pertaining to the preparation of the manuscript and to the requirements for research involving regulated subjects and hazardous materials. Specialist projects involving research with protected or regulated subjects must include documentation indicating compliance with federal, state, and University requirements for the protection of human/animal subjects or appropriate use of genetic or radioactive materials and chemical hazards. Written approval from the board/committee/officer must be included as an appendix to the project. The use of Guidelines for the Preparation of Theses, Projects, and Dissertations is required. This publication is available for purchase in Western’s Campus Bookstore, or for free downloading at http://www.wmich.edu/grad/guidelines. A specialist project is six credit hours. It may be registered for in increments of one to six hours. Following a student’s first enrollment in 7200, the student must have continuous enrollment in 7200 until all project requirements are completed satisfactorily and approved by the appropriate bodies. A student unable to complete the project within the first six hours of registration will be required to continue to enroll in 7200; however, only six hours of 7200 will count toward meeting the program requirements for the specialist degree. For students not enrolled in Summer I and Summer II sessions, pre-enrollment in the subsequent Fall semester is necessary for access to library resources during Summer I and Summer II. Continuous enrollment is defined as enrollment in all Fall and Spring semesters from the initial enrollment to the semester in which the student graduates. If the student will graduate in Summer I or Summer II, the student must be enrolled in that session. The project is graded on a Credit/No Credit basis. In case a student wishes to appeal a negative decision by the student’s project committee, the student shall first take the appeal to this same committee, which shall hear the appeal and render a decision. In case a project committee cannot reach unanimous agreement and the student wishes to appeal further a negative decision, a Review Committee shall be established consisting of the Dean of the Graduate College, the appropriate academic dean, and the chairperson or director of the unit. The Review Committee shall seek to resolve the controversy without passing on the project. The Review Committee handling such a case is limited to procedural actions, such as reconstituting the project committee if the case merits it.

Credits: 6 hours

Notes: Open to Graduate Students Only. Graded on a Credit/No Credit basis.

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