A&S: Requirements for Degrees

• Degrees of Master of Arts and Master of Science
• Degree of Master of Public Policy
• Degree of Doctor of Philosophy

In addition to the following general requirements, special requirements for the various disciplines are listed under the heading of the appropriate department/program.

I. Degrees of Master of Arts and Master of Science

1. The chairperson of the department/program committee in which the student concentrates will plan and approve the student’s program.
2. A minimum residence period may be required at the discretion of a department/program, subject to the approval of the Committee on Graduate Studies.
3. Each student must satisfy the language requirements (if required) prescribed by the department/program committee under which he or she is enrolled. The manner of fulfillment of language requirements shall be at the discretion of the department/program committee subject to the approval of the Committee on Graduate Studies.
4. Students submitting a thesis must successfully complete at least 24 semester hours of graduate credit, of which at least 12 must be earned in courses numbered 600 or above (except 700 - Thesis). Students not submitting a thesis must successfully complete eight additional semester hours of graduate course work in courses numbered 600 or above, totaling 32 semester hours. Each student must achieve a quality 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 (quality points =2.0).
5. If submitting a thesis, it must be approved by the chairperson of the department/program committee of concentration, and by each member of the student’s thesis committee. A thesis committee shall be named by the Dean of Graduate Studies and Research upon the recommendation of the department/program. The committee will consist of at least three members, at least two of whom must be full-time faculty of the College and have a formal affiliation with the student’s department/program. He or she must register for 700, Thesis, for at least one semester and may repeat this registration. Thesis credits are not included in the 24 semester hours required for the degree. The degree will not be granted until three copies of the thesis have been submitted to the Dean of Graduate Studies and Research, Arts and Sciences in final form for acceptance or rejection by the deadline listed in the College Calendar  contained in this catalog.
6. An examination covering the entire field of study is required. This examination is conducted by the student’s examination committee.
7. All requirements for the degree must be completed within a maximum period of six (6) calendar years after admission to the degree program. Requests for extension beyond the six-year limit must be filed following the procedures outlined in ‘Time Limits for Degrees and Extensions’ in this section of the catalog.

II. Degree of Master of Public Policy

1. The director of The Thomas Jefferson Program in Public Policy will plan and approve the student’s program.
2. Each MPP student 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.
3. 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 (quality points=2.0).
4. It is expected that all degree requirements will be completed within 2 years after admission to the degree program.
5. 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

1. 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 fulltime 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 on a petition from a department/program committee.
2. 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. No credit toward a degree will be allowed for a course in which a student receives a grade below C (quality points=2.0).
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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 three copies of the dissertation have been submitted in final form by the deadline listed in the College Calendar  to the Dean of Graduate Studies and Research, Arts and Sciences.
6. Each candidate must successfully defend his or her dissertation in a final examination before it can be accepted by the College. This examination may be written or oral at the discretion of the department/program concerned and shall be open to the faculty and to such outside persons as the department/program may invite.
7. Acceptance of the dissertation by the College is conditional upon filing of the dissertation with ProQuest/UMI, Ann Arbor, Michigan. The requisite fee shall be paid by the student.
8. All requirements for the degree must be completed within a maximum period of seven (7) calendar years after starting the doctoral program. See the individual department/program description for details on when a student is considered to have started the seven-year Ph.D. clock. Requests for extension beyond the seven-year limit must be filed following the procedures outlined in ‘Time Limits for Degrees and Extensions .’