I. Degrees of Master of Arts and Master of Science
In addition to the following general requirements that must be satisfied by students earning either a Master of Arts or a Master of Science degree from the College of Arts & Sciences, special degree requirements (e.g., language proficiency or residency requirements) specific to each of the master’s programs are listed under the Graduate Arts & Sciences Catalog entries for departments and programs. Students are required to satisfy all program-specific requirements in addition to the following general requirements.
A. All candidates for the degrees of Master of Arts or Master of Science
To be eligible to graduate, all students must achieve a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale in all courses undertaken for graduate credit at William & Mary after admission to a degree program. No credit toward a degree will be allowed for a course in which a student receives a grade below C (grade point = 2.0).
All requirements for the master’s degree must be completed within six years from the first term of enrollment in the master’s program, excluding periods of approved leave and military service. Requests for extension beyond the six-year limit must be filed following the procedures outlined in Time Limits for Degrees and Extensions in the Graduate Arts & Sciences Catalog.
B. Students not submitting a thesis to satisfy degree requirements
Students not submitting a thesis must successfully complete 32 semester hours of graduate credit, subject to the following requirements.
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At least 20 semester hours must be earned in courses numbered 600 or above.
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Semester credit earned for 566, 666, 685, 695, 700, 766, 795, and 800 may not be used to satisfy this requirement.
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No more than a total of 12 semester credit hours earned in 694 may be used to satisfy this requirement.
C. Students submitting a thesis to satisfy degree requirements
Students submitting a thesis must successfully complete 30 semester hours of graduate credit, subject to the following requirements.
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At least 12 must be earned in courses numbered 600 or above, excluding 700 (Thesis).
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At least 6 credits must be earned in 700 (Thesis), but no more than 6 semester credit hours can be used to satisfy the requirement of 30 semester hours of graduate credit.
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Semester credit earned for 566, 666, 685, 694, 766, and 800 may not be used to satisfy this requirement.
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No more than a total of 12 semester credit hours earned in 693 and 695 may be used to satisfy this requirement.
Some master’s programs in the College of Arts & Sciences require a student earning a thesis master’s degree to take a comprehensive or qualifying examination to demonstrate competence in his or her field of study. If so, students submitting a thesis must pass the comprehensive or qualifying examination to satisfy this requirement for their degree program.
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The comprehensive or qualifying examination may be either written or oral, at the discretion of the student’s graduate program.
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The student must be physically present for the comprehensive or qualifying examination.
Students submitting a thesis must present work that is based on original research that constitutes a contribution to scholarly knowledge.
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The Dean of Graduate Studies and Research will appoint a thesis examination committee for each student
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The thesis examination committee must consist of at least three members, at least two of whom must be full-time faculty with appointments in the College of Arts & Sciences and must have a formal affiliation with the student’s graduate program.
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The student’s graduate program recommends the names of members to serve on this examination committee. Final approval of the committee rests with the Dean of Graduate Studies and Research, and must be secured in advance of the thesis examination.
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If the student’s graduate program requires a public defense of the thesis, the first preference is for all thesis examination committee members to be physically present for the examination.
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However, electronic participation by the thesis examination committee members is allowed to accommodate schedules, particularly those of committee members who do not hold appointments at William & Mary.
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The student must be physically present for the thesis examination.
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Every member of the student’s thesis examination committee must approve the thesis.
A student submitting a thesis to fulfill degree requirements must submit their thesis using the W&M ETD Administrator in final form to the Dean of Graduate Studies and Research for acceptance or rejection by no later than the deadline published in the A&S Academic Calendar for the academic semester in which the student intends to graduate.
II. Degree of Master of Public Policy
A. The director of The Public Policy Program will plan and approve the student’s program.
B. Each MPP studenTime Limits for Degrees and Extensions is expected to attend full-time (12 credits per semester) for four semesters. Students in the Accelerated B.A./B.S. and MPP path are expected to attend full-time (12 credits per semester) for two semesters following conferral of the Bachelor’s degree.
C. At least 49 semester hours of graduate credit are required for the MPP degree. Students accepted for the degrees of MPP/JD, MPP/MBA, MPP/MS in Marine Science, MPP/PhD in Marine Science, or MPP/MS in Computational Operations Research are required to have 37 hours of MPP course credit. Each student must achieve a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale in all courses undertaken for graduate credit at the College of William and Mary after admission to the MPP program. No credit toward a degree will be allowed for a course in which a student receives a grade below C (grade point=2.0).
D. It is expected that all degree requirements will be completed within 2 years after admission to the degree program.
E. Each student must complete a 10-week internship during the summer between the first and second years of the program. The program director must approve all internships.
III. Degree of Doctor of Philosophy
All Requirements for the Ph.D. must be completed within seven years from the first term of enrollment in the Ph.D. program, excluding periods of approved leave and military service. For a student enrolled in a master’s program in the College of Arts and Sciences who subsequently advances to candidacy in the doctoral program in the same field, the terms of enrollment in the master’s program will count towards the seven-year limit for the doctoral degree unless otherwise stated in the letter of admission.
A. A minimum of three years of graduate study beyond the baccalaureate is required. A student must spend at least one academic year in continuous residence as a full-time student at the College of William and Mary after satisfying the requirements for the M.A. or M.S. degree. This may be waived only by the Committee on Graduate Studies with a petition from a department/program committee.
B. Course requirements for doctoral students shall be at the discretion of the major department/program. In addition to other course or credit requirements, each candidate for the Ph.D. must register for at least six credits of 800, Dissertation. Each student must achieve a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale in all courses undertaken for graduate credit at the College of William and Mary after admission to a degree program. No credit toward a degree will be allowed for a course in which a student receives a grade below C (grade point=2.0).
C. Each student must satisfy the language requirements prescribed by the department/program under which he or she is enrolled. The manner of fulfillment of language requirements shall be at the discretion of the department/program subject to the approval of the Committee on Graduate Studies. Such requirements must be fulfilled before the student may complete his or her comprehensive or qualifying examinations.
D. Each doctoral student must pass a comprehensive or qualifying examination designed to demonstrate competence in his or her field of study. Methods of examination, whether written or oral, shall be at the discretion of the student’s department/program. An examining committee shall be appointed for each student by the Dean of Graduate Studies and Research, Arts and Sciences, upon the recommendation of the department/program.
E. A candidate for the Ph.D. must submit a dissertation based on original research and constituting a contribution to scholarly knowledge. A dissertation committee shall be named by the Dean of Graduate Studies and Research upon the recommendation of the department/program. The dissertation must be approved by each member of the committee. The committee will consist of at least four members, at least two of whom must be full-time faculty at the College and have a formal affiliation with the student’s department/program. At least one member of the committee must be from outside the student’s department/program, and may include qualified persons from outside the College. Persons who have an affiliation with the department/program (e.g., adjunct status) do not qualify as external members. The degree will not be granted until the dissertation has been submitted and accepted in final form by the deadline listed in the A&S Academic Calendar to the Dean of Graduate Studies and Research, Arts and Sciences.
F. Each candidate must successfully defend his or her dissertation in a final examination before it will be accepted by the College. This examination must be open to the faculty and to such outside persons as the department/program may invite. While electronic participation by committee members is allowed to accommodate schedules, particularly those of committee members from outside the College, first preference is for committee members to be physically present for the examination. The candidate must be physically present for the examination.
G. Acceptance of the dissertation by the College is conditional upon filing of the dissertation with ProQuest/UMI, Ann Arbor, Michigan. The requisite fee must be paid by the student.
Please refer to the Time Limits for Degrees and Extensions section in the catalog for detailed information.
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