Chapter 14

DEGREES, GRADUATION AND COMMENCEMENT

Section 1. Depth Requirements

A. Minimum Depth Requirements: The various schools and colleges of the University will be responsible for establishing criteria to ensure adequate depth in the program of studies of each student seeking a degree.

S-B 92, May 1964: with Presidential approval.

B. Residence Requirement: To be recommended for a first or subsequent Bachelor's degree, a student must complete 45 of his or her final 60 credits as a matriculated student in residence at the University of Washington campus where the degree is to be earned. Exceptions to this rule are as follows:

1. Of the 45 resident credits required for a UW undergraduate degree, no more than 10 credits may be waived by the dean of the college or school awarding the degree and only on a case-by-case basis.
2. A unit desiring to develop a provisional undergraduate distance-learning degree may petition the college or school and the Faculty Council on Academic Standards for a waiver of the 45-credit resident requirement and/or the 90-credit course limit. Such petitions should identify the reasons why the offering needs to waive the requirement, based on audience, access, or unit academic mission, describe the relationship of the new program to existing degrees, justify the methods of content delivery, and describe the goals and oversight needed to meet institutional standards. If the petition is approved, the degree may be implemented with a repetition of the abovementioned review required in the sixth year for continuance.

S-B 105, March 1969; S-B 151, January 21, 1991; S-B 167, November 26, 2001; S-B 173, April 6, 2007; all with Presidential approval.

Section 2. Requirements for the Bachelor's Degree

A. Required Grade Point. To be eligible for the bachelor's degree, an undergraduate student must achieve a minimum cumulative grade-point average of 2.00. Only resident credits and credits from DL courses will be used to compute the graduation grade-point average.

S-B 113, April 1971; S-B 167, November 26, 2001; S-B 173, April 6, 2007; all with Presidential approval.

B. Required Credits: To be eligible for graduation from the University with the Bachelor's degree, a student shall satisfy all other specific requirements and shall offer a minimum of 180 academic credits.

1. Effective Autumn Quarter 1994, the requirements for graduation shall include:
   a. no fewer than 40 credits of general education courses approved by the appropriate school or college, including no fewer than 10 credits in each of three areas of study: The Natural World, Individuals and Societies, and The Visual, Literary and Performing Arts;
   b. no fewer than 12 credits of writing consisting of 5 credits of English Composition and 2 additional writing-intensive courses (the latter may be satisfied through several options: "W" courses, senior seminars, senior thesis, or courses for which students and faculty contract for a substantial amount of writing);
   c. no fewer than 5 credits of courses devoted to reasoning skills (courses to fulfill this requirement include quantitative, symbolic, or formal reasoning which may be satisfied within the discipline).
2. Courses taken to fulfill the writing, reasoning and major requirements may apply as appropriate to the general education requirements.

S-B 41, June 1949; S-B 111, June 1970; S-B 142, December 1983; S-B 156, November 1993: all with Presidential approval.

C. Any college may make additional requirements for graduation.

S-B 15, January 1944: with Presidential approval.

D. Extension Credits: No more than 90 extension credits may be counted toward the bachelor's degree. No more than 45 credits gained in extension courses offered by other institutions may be counted toward the bachelor's degree.

S-B 105, March 1969: with Presidential approval.

E. Effective date for graduation requirements:

1. If fewer than ten years have elapsed since a student's admission into her or his major program, she or he may choose to graduate under the major-program requirements in effect at the time of admission, or under any subsequent requirements. The choice shall be subject to approval of the student's departmental chair and dean, according to the procedures established in Section 23-48 of the Faculty Code.
2. If a student wishes to obtain a degree after a lapse of more than ten years from the date of admission to the major program, she or he must meet the requirements in effect at the time of graduation unless permission to use an earlier catalog is granted, either as a general policy or expressly for the individual student, by the academic unit (department, school or college) whose requirements are in question.
3. These provisions do not apply to the requirements for teaching certificates, which are prescribed by the College of Education at the time the certificate is to be granted.

S-B 60, March 1953; S-B 79, May 1958; S-B 157, April 1994: all with Presidential approval.

F. Time Limit for exceptions to Graduate Requirements: An exception from an all-University graduation requirement which is granted by the Board of Admissions, Scholastic Standards, and Graduation shall be void at the end of two calendar years from the date such exception is granted if all degree requirements have not been completed within that period.

HB, 1958

G. Applications for Degrees: A student should file with the Registrar a written application for his or her degree, in triplicate, four quarters before his or her expected date of graduation. Notice shall be sent to the student by the Registrar of the acceptance or rejection of his or her application. Each quarter the Registrar shall transmit the accepted list of candidates for degrees and certificates to be conferred at the end of that quarter to the dean of the appropriate college or school for his or her faculty's approval and recommendation to the Board of Regents. The list as approved by his or her faculty shall then be forwarded by such dean to the Registrar with a recommendation to the Board of Regents that all who fulfill their outstanding requirements for graduation will be awarded their respective degrees or certificates. No student shall receive a bachelor's degree, teaching certificate, or other certificate unless his or her name appears upon the list approved by the faculty of the appropriate school or college during the quarter in which the degree or certificate is to be granted.

S-B 74, April 1957: with Presidential approval.

H. Financial Obligations: All financial obligations to the University must be paid before the student is allowed to graduate.

HB, 1966

I. Degrees with Minor: departments, schools and colleges are authorized to provide a course of study leading to an undergraduate academic minor. Requirements are within the purview of the department, school or college.

1. The minor shall consist of not less than 25 credits. Interdisciplinary minors are encouraged. Courses taken to fulfill the minor may also apply as appropriate to the general education, writing and reasoning requirements. Completion of the minor will appear on the permanent record.
2. Distance-learning minors (whether entirely new, or a distance-learning version of an existing minor) must be approved by the same process as non-distance-learning minors. Modes of content delivery must be described and approved at all levels, including unit, college, and Faculty Council on Academic Standards.

J. Degrees with Double Major: Some colleges offer a bachelor's degree with double majors. The student's application for such a degree must show both majors and be approved by the major professors of both departments. Both majors will appear on the permanent record.

K. DL course credits: Students may apply a maximum of 90 credits of DL coursework towards the credit requirements for graduation.

HB, 1966; S-B 156, November 1993; S-B 167, November 26, 2001; S-B 173, April 6, 2007; all with Presidential approval.

Section 3. Two Bachelor's Degrees at the Same Time

Two bachelor's degrees with different majors may be granted at the same time, but the total number of academic credits shall reach a minimum of 45 credits in excess of the number normally required for a first bachelor's degree.

S-B 105, March 1969: with Presidential approval.

Section 4. A Second Bachelor's Degree

A. A second bachelor's degree may be granted, but there shall be required for this degree a minimum of 45 additional credits in residence.

S-B 105, March 1969; S-B 167, November 26, 2001; S-B 173, April 6, 2007; all with Presidential approval.

B. Students who wish to obtain a second bachelor's degree register in the college from which they expect to obtain the degree, not in the Graduate School.

Section 5. Advanced Degrees

A. A graduate student must satisfy the requirements for an advanced degree which are in force at the time the degree is to be awarded.

B. Ordinarily, no member of the faculty with the rank of assistant professor or above shall be granted any advanced degree at this University. However, with prior approval of his or her Chair, Dean and the Provost, such degrees (outside the faculty member's department) may be granted. This regulation shall not be applied to any member of the military services officially assigned to this campus.

S-B 63, November 1953; AI, March 1966; S-B 158, April 7, 1995: all with Presidential approval.

C. Students pursuing a graduate program leading to the master's degree may transmit a written petition to the Dean of the Graduate School requesting permission to transfer up to 12 graduate quarter credits taken while a graduate student in another recognized Graduate School to be applied toward the Master's degree here. The petition must be accompanied by a written recommendation from the student's Graduate Program Adviser. The minimum residence requirement of three quarters at the University of Washington may not be reduced by transfer credit.

Section 6. Language Competence Examinations

A. To provide for satisfaction of language competence requirements for advanced degrees, the University uses the Educational Testing Service standardized examinations in French, German, Russian and Spanish and these standardized examinations will be given at the University and at other places throughout the United States on published dates. Students are urged to acquire and use foreign language competence as undergraduates or as early as possible in their graduate career. The ETS examination may be written and passed by undergraduates who are urged to establish their foreign language competence before entering the Graduate School.

B. For languages other than French, German, Russian and Spanish, foreign language examinations will be given in Seattle at the University on the day prior to the ETS examinations.

C. The Graduate School will furnish information concerning procedures for signing up for an examination and for time and place of the examinations.

Section 7. Master's Degrees

A. All candidates for the master's degree must complete a minimum of 36 credits, with a minimum of three full-time quarters of residence in the Graduate School at the University of Washington (part-time quarters may be accumulated to meet this requirement); demonstrate proficiency in a foreign language (unless specifically excepted for a particular degree); prepare a thesis (unless specifically excepted in a particular program); and, complete all work for the master's degree within six years. This includes applicable work transferred from other institutions. (The University General Catalog contains complete details and discussion of the master's degree requirements.)

B. The student must make application for the master's degree at the Graduate School Office within the first two weeks of the quarter in which he expects the degree to be conferred. When the application is received, the Graduate School will review the student's record and his current registration and will notify him and his department promptly as to whether he will have satisfied the requirements for the degree at the end of the quarter. The previous work taken by the student, together with his current registration as planned with the approval of his department, must meet the requirements for the degree if the application is to be approved.

Section 8. The Candidate Certificate

A. Admission to the status of Candidate for the doctoral degree is evidence of substantial attainment beyond the Master's degree and completion of all requirements for the doctorate except the dissertation and the Final Examination. The attainment of candidacy is recognized by transmission from the Dean of the Graduate School to the graduate student of a letter indicating successful completion of the General Examinations and all other requirements for the doctoral degree except satisfactory completion of the dissertation and the Final Examination.

B. Further recognition to the achievement of the status of Candidate is the award of a special printed certificate signed by the President of the University and the Dean of the Graduate School and transmitted to the Candidate in addition to the letter to him informing him of his admission to candidacy. The Commencement Program will show the names of those who have received Candidate certificates during the prior year.

C. For the doctoral degrees currently offered by the University in the Graduate School the identification of achievement of Candidate status may be expressed in the following manner in relation to the designation of the doctoral degree:

Doctoral Designation

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)
Doctor of Musical Arts (D.M.A.)
Doctor of Arts (D.A.)

Candidate Designation

Candidate in Philosophy (Ph.C.)
Candidate in Education (Ed.C.)
Candidate in Musical Arts (C.M.A.)
Candidate in Arts (C.A.)

D. The Award of the Candidate certificate in no way changes the present policies or procedures in relation to the admission to candidacy for the doctoral degree. Satisfactory completion of the General Examinations and all prerequisites thereto constitutes admission to candidacy for the doctoral degree and is taken to mean recognition by the faculty that the Candidate is qualified and encouraged to proceed to the completion of his dissertation and the awarding of the doctoral degree.

AI, November 1968

Section 9. Doctor's Degrees

In order to qualify for a doctor's degree, the student must present a minimum of three academic years of resident study, two of them at the University of Washington with at least one year in continuous full-time residence (the continuous year may be satisfied with three out of four consecutive full-time quarters); if required for his or her particular degree program, demonstrate a reading knowledge of at least one language other than English, which is important in the graduate student's field of scholarly activity; pass creditably a Final Examination usually devoted to the dissertation and the field with which it is concerned, and, complete all work for the doctor's degree within ten years. Applicable work from the master's degree and work transferred from other institutions must fall within the ten-year period. (The University General Catalog contains complete details and discussion of the doctoral degree requirements.)

Section 10. Scholarship

A grade-point average of 3.0 or above in all numerically graded courses numbered 300, 400, and 500 is required for a degree in the Graduate School. Students whose work is not of approved quality may be asked by the Dean of the Graduate School to withdraw. On the quarterly grade report and on each student's permanent transcript, all courses numbered 100 through 800, with the grades earned, are listed. However, grade points are not extended for 100- and 200-level courses or for 600-, 700-, and 800-level courses. Such courses are not included in quarter or cumulative grade-point averages.

AI, June 1976

Section 11. Theses and Dissertations

If a thesis or dissertation is required for the degree sought, the candidate shall deposit two typewritten copies thereof in the Graduate School Office at least two weeks before the end of the quarter in which he expects to take the degree. Instructions for preparation of theses and dissertations in acceptable form may be obtained at the Graduate School Office.

Sections 5-7, 9-11 by HB, 1966

Section 12. List of Candidates for Advanced Degrees

Each quarter, the Dean of the Graduate School shall submit to the President a list of aspirants for advanced degrees to be conferred at the end of the quarter, with a recommendation to the Board of Regents that all those listed who fulfill their outstanding requirements for graduation be awarded their respective degrees. No student shall receive an advanced degree unless his or her name appears upon the list for the quarter in which the degree is to be granted.

S-B 74, April 18, 1957: with Presidential approval.

Section 13. Commencement Exercises

a. Formal Commencement exercises shall be held only at the close of the Spring Quarter.

b. Diplomas shall be issued at the end of each quarter to such students as have completed graduation requirements at that time.

HB, 1946

Section 14. Revocation of Degrees

In order to preserve the integrity of the academic standards and of the degrees granted by the University of Washington, the power and right to revoke degrees previously granted may be exercised by the Board of Regents upon recommendation of the appropriate faculty in those cases in which the recipient has failed to satisfy the standards for that degree existing at the time of its award. If the failure to satisfy those standards was not discovered because of fraud or deceit on the part of the recipient of the degree, the power may be exercised at any time upon discovery of the deficiency. If the failure to satisfy those requirements is due to any other cause, including the mistake or oversight of employees of the University, the power may be exercised only within two years after granting the degree and only if, considering the seriousness of the deficiency involved, it is found that to do so will not work an undue hardship upon the individual concerned other than the withdrawal of the degree.

BR, April 21, 1958