Dec 05, 2024  
ARCHIVED 2009-2010 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
ARCHIVED 2009-2010 Undergraduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

The Graduate School


Note: Complete information will be found in the graduate catalog, The Record, Graduate Catalog, available from the Graduate School.

Scott E. Higgins, dean

Kathleen Brennan, associate dean

The Graduate School at Western Carolina University awarded its first graduate degrees in 1952. Since that time, it has continuously broadened its offerings. Programs offered by the Graduate School lead to sixteen master’s degrees with more than fifty options in the different professional and academic areas. The education specialist and doctoral degree in educational leadership are also offered.

Master of Accountancy

Master of Arts: Majors in History (American or European concentration), English, and psychology (clinical, school, and general experimental).

Master of Arts in Education: Majors in educational administration (two-year college), counseling (school), elementary education, middle grades education, special education general (with concentrations in behavioral disorders, learning disabilities, mental retardation, and severe and profound disabilities), and educational supervision (curriculum-instruction, instructional technology specialist-computers, international studies).

Master of Arts in Teaching: Options in Art, Biology, Chemistry, English, Mathematics, Physical Education, Reading, Social Sciences, and Special Education general (with a concentration in learning disabilities/mental retardation)

Master of Business Administration

Master of Construction Management

Master of Education: College Student Personnel

Master of Entrepreneurship

Master of Fine Arts in Fine Arts

Master of Health Sciences: Options in Education, Environmental Health, Management, Nutrition.

Master of Music

Master of Physical Therapy

Master of Project Management

Master of Public Affairs

Master of School Administration

Master of Science: Majors in Applied Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry, Communication Sciences and Disorders, Community Counseling, Human Resources, Nursing, and Technology.

Master of Social Work

Education Specialist: Educational Leadership

Doctor of Education: Educational Leadership

Admission and Program Requirements. Admission to the Graduate School requires a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university with an undergraduate background appropriate for graduate study in the proposed field and a minimum GPA of 3.00 in the last two years of the undergraduate program. Departments also require some form of standardized test such as GMAT or GRE. Please consult The Record, Graduate Catalog, for specific requirements for each program. Prospective students are encouraged to talk to the head of the department of the intended program concerning their eligibility to be admitted as a graduate student. Many programs require three letters of reference from former instructors or employers who are in a position to judge the applicant’s aptitude for graduate study. Formal application and all credentials should be submitted to the Graduate School not later than six weeks prior to the opening of the term in which the student expects to enroll. Some programs have application deadlines. Applicants should contact the Graduate School to determine these programs.

Some graduate programs require a thesis. These are master of arts in History (excluding nonthesis option and public history option), master of arts in English, master of arts in psychology (clinical, school, and general experimental), master of fine arts in fine arts, master of science in biology, and master of science in chemistry. A thesis or lecture/recital is required for the M.M. in music. A thesis may be accepted for degree programs leading to the master of arts in education, the master of health sciences, the master of science in applied mathematics and the master of science in communication disorders. A dissertation is required for the EdD.

A reading knowledge of a foreign language is required for the following programs: master of arts in History and the master of arts in English. Other degree programs do not require proficiency in a foreign language.

All degrees may be completed with a minimum of thirty to seventy-five semester hours of graduate study. However, applicants may be required to take additional course work to strengthen their academic background.