Graduate College

Christine Byrd-Jacobs
Dean

Michael Harnar
Assistant Professor, Interdisciplinary Ph.D. in Evaluation

The Western Michigan University Graduate College is the institution’s primary advocate for graduate study. The functions of the Graduate College include promoting academic excellence by providing leadership in shaping graduate policy, assisting faculty in guiding and mentoring graduate students, and integrating services that help to recruit, retain, support, and graduate a diverse population of students in becoming accomplished and ethical scholars, researchers, and professionals within and across disciplines.

To provide leadership and advocacy in support of graduate education at WMU, the Graduate College has the following goals: develop and improve the environment for graduate education at WMU; assist graduate programs with enrollment management; support and promote graduate student success in teaching, learning, and scholarly activities; and provide quality control and maintain equitable and consistent standards in graduate programs.

An Accelerated Graduate Degree Program (AGDP) allows eligible WMU students the opportunity to complete both an undergraduate degree and a master’s degree in less time because the student may begin taking graduate courses while still an undergraduate. During their senior year of their undergraduate careers, students in the accelerated program may substitute up to 12 credit hours of graduate course work for undergraduate course work. Once they enter graduate school, they’re able to quickly move through their master’s degree (or Au.D.) requirements because they’ve already taken several graduate classes. Accelerated degrees are offered for the following master’s programs: Aerospace Engineering; Applied Economics; Biological Sciences (MA); Biological Sciences (MS); Chemical Engineering; Chemistry; Civil Engineering; Communication; Comparative Religion; Computer Engineering; Computer Science; Earth Science; Electrical Engineering; English; Exercise Science; Family and Consumer Sciences; Geography; Hispanic Studies; History; History: Public History; Industrial Engineering; Mathematics; Mechanical Engineering; Medieval Studies; Music; Orientation and Mobility; Paper and Printing Science; Political Science; Public Administration; Social Work; Sociology; Special Education: Master Teacher; Statistics; Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages; Vision Rehabilitation Therapy; and Workforce Education and Development. The Au.D. in Audiology is also offered as an accelerated program.

The Master of Arts is awarded in the following programs: Anthropology; Applied Economics; Applied Economics: Economic Development; Applied Economics: Statistics and Econometrics; Biological Sciences; Chemistry; Communication; Comparative Religion; Counseling Psychology; Counselor Education: Clinical Mental Health Counseling; Counselor Education: Marriage, Couple and Family Counseling; Counselor Education: Rehabilitation Counseling; Counselor Education: Rehabilitation Teaching; Counselor Education: School Counseling; Educational and Instructional Technology; Educational Leadership: Educational and Global Leadership; Educational Leadership: Higher Education and Student Affairs; Educational Leadership: K-12 Principal and Interscholastic Athletic Administration; Educational Leadership: K-12 School Principal; English; English: Professional Writing; English: Teaching; Evaluation, Measurement, and Research; Family and Consumer Sciences; Hispanic Studies; History; History: Public History; Literacy Studies; Mathematics; Mathematics Education; Medieval Studies; Music; Organizational Change Leadership; Orientation and Mobility; Orientation and Mobility for Children; Philosophy; Physical Education: Adapted Physical Education; Physical Education: Coaching Sport Performance; Physical Education: Pedagogy; Physics; Political Science; Psychology: Behavior Analysis; Psychology: Industrial/Organizational Behavior Management; Science Education; Sociology; Special Education: Clinical Teacher; Special Education: Master Teacher; Speech-Language Pathology; Spirituality, Culture and Health; Sports Coaching; Sport Management; Teaching Children With Visual Impairment; Teaching Children with Visual Impairment/Orientation and Mobility (dual MA); Teaching Chinese as a Second Language; Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages; Teaching, Learning, and Educational Studies; Teaching, Learning, and Educational Studies: Curriculum and Instruction; Teaching, Learning, and Educational Studies: Early Childhood Education; Teaching, Learning, and Educational Studies: Educational Foundations; Teaching, Learning, and Educational Studies: Teacher Leader; Teaching: Elementary Education; Teaching: Secondary Education:Vision Rehabilitation Therapy; Workforce Education, Development, and Leadership; and Workforce Education, Development, and Leadership: Post-Baccalaureate Certification.

The University also offers the Master of Science in the following areas: Aerospace Engineering; Applied and Computational Mathematics; Biological Sciences; Chemistry; Computer Science; Cyber Security: Computer Information Systems; Cyber Security: Computer Science; Data Science, Earth Science; Engineering Management; Exercise Science; Geography; Geosciences; Manufacturing Engineering; Paper and Printing Science; Statistics; and Supply Chain Management.

Other master’s degrees include Accountancy (MSA); Business Administration (MBA); Ceramics (MFA); Chemical Engineering (MSE); Civil Engineering (MSE); Computer Engineering (MSE); Creative Writing (MFA); Electrical Engineering (MSE); Industrial Engineering (MSE); International Development Administration (MIDA); Mechanical Engineering (MSE); Music Composition (MM); Music Conducting (MM); Music Education (MM); Music Performance (MM); Music Therapy (MM); Public Administration (MPA); Public Health (MPH); Nursing (MSN); Physician Assistant (MSM); Social Work (MSW)

In addition:

The Specialist in Education is offered in Educational Leadership.

The Doctor of Education is offered in Special Education.

The Doctor of Audiology is offered in Audiology.

The Doctor of Occupational Therapy is offered in Occupational Therapy.

The Doctor of Physical Therapy is offered in Physical Therapy.

Joint Juris Doctor and Master of Public Administration degrees are offered in partnership with the WMU Thomas M. Cooley Law School.

The WMU Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine offers an M.D. Degree.

The Doctor of Philosophy is offered in Applied Economics; Biological Sciences; Chemistry; Civil Engineering; Computer Science; Counseling Psychology; Counselor Education; Education and Human Development; Educational Leadership: Higher Education; Educational Leadership: K-12 Leadership; Educational Leadership: Organizational Analysis; Educational Leadership: Workforce Education and Development; Electrical and Computer Engineering; Engineering and Applied Sciences: Applied Science; Engineering and Applied Sciences: Engineering; English; English: Creative Writing; Evaluation (Interdisciplinary); Evaluation, Measurement, and Research; Geosciences; History; Industrial Engineering; Interdisciplinary Health Sciences; Interdisciplinary Studies; Mathematics; Mathematics Education; Mechanical Engineering; Paper and Printing Science; Physics; Political Science; Psychology: Behavior Analysis; Psychology: Clinical Psychology; Psychology: Industrial/Organizational Behavior Management; Public Administration; Science Education; Science Education: Biological Science; Science Education: Chemistry; Science Education: Geosciences; Science Education: Physical Geography; Science Education: Physics; Sociology; Spanish; and Statistics.

Graduate certificate programs are offered in the following areas: Adapted Physical Education & Positive Behavioral Intervention & Supports; Addiction Specialization; Aging Studies; Applied Statistics, Assistive Technology for Individuals with Blindness or Visual Impairment; Biostatistics; Business Analytics; Climate Change Policy & Management; Clinical Addiction; College Science Teaching; Counseling Psychology; Cultural and Environmental Heritage Management; Cybersecurity: Computer Information Systems; Cybersecurity: Computer Science; Early Childhood Special Education; Educational and Instructional Technology; Educational Leadership-School Administrator Certificate: Central Office Endorsement; Embedded System Design; English as a Second Language Teaching Certificate; Evaluation; Geographic Information Science; Geospatial Applications of Unoccupied Aircraft Systems; Higher Education and Student Affairs; History; Holistic Approaches to Enhance Living; Holistic Approaches to Mindfulness; Holistic Approaches to Spirituality and Healing; Holistic Approaches to Stress Management; Hydrogeology; Integrative Holistic Health and Wellness; Kinship Care Families; Mixed Methods Research; Music Performance; Nurse Educator; Positive Behavior Interventions and Support (PBIS); Professional Workforce Educator; Qualitative Research Methods; Renewable Power Systems; School Counseling; Spirituality, Culture and Health; Supply Chain Management; Teacher Development; UAVs Applications in Geological and Environmental Sciences; and Youth and Community Development.

Please refer to other sections of the Graduate Catalog for further information on these programs, as well as on admission and graduation requirements. Or visit the Graduate College website wmich.edu/grad.