Graduate College

Christine Byrd-Jacobs, Dean

As Western Michigan University’s primary advocate for graduate study, the Graduate College promotes academic excellence by shaping graduate policy and assisting departments who offer a wide variety of programs leading to the master’s, specialist, and doctoral degrees.

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 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; Counseling Psychology; Criminal Justice; Data Science; Earth Science; Electrical Engineering; English; Exercise Science; Family and Consumer Sciences; Geography; Hispanic Studies; History; History: Public History; Industrial Engineering; Mathematics; Manufacturing Engineering; Mechanical Engineering; Medieval Studies; Music; Orientation and Mobility; Paper and Printing Science; Political Science; Public Administration; Social Work; Sociology; Special Education: Clinical Teacher; Special Education Master Teacher; Statistics; Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages; Teaching: Secondary Education; Vision Rehabilitation Therapy; Workforce Education and Development.

The Master of Arts is awarded in the following programs: Anthropology; Applied Economics; Applied Economics: Economic Development; Applied Economics: Statistics and Econometrics; Biological Sciences; Ceramics; Chemistry; Communication; Comparative Religion; Counseling Psychology; Clinical Mental Health Counseling; Marriage, Couple and Family Counseling; School Counseling; Criminal Justice Studies; Educational and Instructional Technology; Educational Leadership: Higher Education and Student Affairs; Educational Leadership: K-12 Principal and Interscholastic Athletic Administration; Educational Leadership: K-12 School Principal; Educational Leadership: K-12 Leadership; English; English: Teaching; Evaluation, Measurement, and Research; Family and Consumer Sciences; Global Leadership and Learning; 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: Pedagogy; Physics; Political Science; Psychology: Behavior Analysis; Psychology: Industrial/Organizational Behavior Management; Science Education; Sociology; Special Education: Administration; Special Education: Clinical Teacher; Special Education: Master Teacher; Speech-Language Pathology; Rehabilitation Teaching; Spirituality, Culture and Health; Sport Management; Sports Coaching; Teaching Children with Visual Impairment; Teaching Children with Visual Impairment/Orientation and Mobility (dual MA); Teaching: Elementary Education; Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages; Teaching, Learning, and Educational Studies; Teaching: Secondary Education; Teaching: Teaching Chinese as a Second Language; Vision Rehabilitation Therapy; Workforce Education, Development, and Leadership; 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; Information Security: Computer Information Systems; Information Security: Computer Science; Manufacturing Engineering; Paper and Printing Science; Speech-Language Pathology; Statistics.

Other master’s degrees include Accountancy (MSA); Business Administration (MBA); Ceramics (MFA); Chemical Engineering (MSE); Civil Engineering (MSE); Computer Engineering (MSE); Electrical Engineering (MSE); Industrial Engineering (MSE); English: Creative Writing (MFA); Finance: Corporate Financial Planning and Analytics; Finance: Data Analytics in Finance; Finance: Securities and Markets; International Development Administration (MIDA); Mechanical Engineering (MSE); Music Composition (MM); Music Conducting (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
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; Chemical Engineering; Civil Engineering; Computer Science; Counseling Psychology; Collegiate Math Education; Counselor Education; Education and Human Development; Educational Leadership: Higher Education; Educational Leadership: K-12 Leadership; Educational Leadership: Organizational Analysis Leadership; 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; Special Education 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; Aviation Administration; Business Analytics; Climate Change Policy & Management; Child Welfare; 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; Early Childhood General and Special Education; English as a Second Language Teaching Certificate; Evaluation; Evaluation, Mixed-Methods Research; Evaluation, Qualitative Research; Evidence-Based Reading Instruction and Intervention; Financial Technology; Finance; Food marketing; Geographic Information Science; Geospatial Applications of Unoccupied Aircraft Systems; Global Leadership and Learning; Health and Wellness Coaching Skills; Higher Education and Student Affairs; History; Holism and Contemplative Health Care; Hydrogeology; Kinship Care Families; Mindfulness and Centering Skills; Music Performance; Nurse Educator; Organizational Change Leadership; Orientation and Mobility; Positive Behavior Interventions and Support (PBIS); Professional Workforce Educator; Qualitative Research; Resiliency and Well-Being Skills; Renewable Power Systems; Spirituality, Culture and Health; Statistics: Biostatistics; Supply Chain Management; Teacher Development; Tribal Governance; UAVs Applications in Geological and Environmental Sciences; Vision Rehabilitation Therapy; Vision Certificate for Teachers; 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.