Degree and certificate requirements

Graduate certificates

There are limits on the use of courses in graduate certificate programs that have not been fully approved through the curricular review process (i.e., courses numbered 501/601 through 510/610). A few graduate certificates require an omnibus course (e.g., 506 Project) as a culminating activity for the program. Apart from these required credits, courses numbered 501/601 through 509/609 are typically not allowed in graduate certificate programs. Experimental courses (i.e., courses numbered 510/610) can substitute for electives at the program's discretion, but all core courses must be fully approved.

All graduate certificates are approved with a minimum number of required credits. These minimum credit totals cannot be waived even if the approved program of study exceeds the University minimum of 15 credits for a graduate certificate.

Graduate certificate students must have a minimum 3.00 GPA on all courses applied to the program of study, as well as a minimum 3.00 GPA in all graduate-level courses taken at PSU, in order to graduate. Departments may establish a more rigorous standard. Although grades of C+, C, and C- are below the graduate standard, they may be counted as credit toward a graduate certificate with the specific written approval of the program. Grades of D or F indicate clearly unacceptable work and cannot be applied to graduate certificate requirements. Audited courses cannot be used to meet any requirement for graduate certificates.

Courses completed up to seven years prior to the certificate award date may be used to satisfy graduate certificate requirements (e.g., a course started in the fall term of 2015 will be beyond the seven-year limitation at the close of fall term 2022).

For graduate certificates, transfer credit is defined as any eligible letter-graded (B- or higher) graduate course taken at another regionally accredited institution. Two-thirds of the credits required for a graduate certificate, or 15 credits minimum, whichever is larger, must be taken at PSU. Individual programs may set higher minimums. See the section on Course overlap between degrees and certificates for use of coursework in certificate programs.

Students must apply for graduation by the first Friday of the anticipated term of graduation; see the Graduate Candidate Deadlines for specific due dates. There is a required $30 fee per application as well as a $2 service charge. As a one-time courtesy, students who do not complete certificate requirements can have their application for graduation carried forward to a future term (typically the next term, but it could be at maximum up to one year in advance). To request that an application for graduation be carried, students must contact the Graduate School in writing and provide an explanation for the graduation delay. If students do not graduate a second time, the application for graduation will be dropped; they will then need to reapply for graduation by the appropriate deadline (and will be assessed a new application fee).

Master’s degrees

Second language requirement

The second language requirement for M.A. and M.A.T. students must be met before any final exam is taken or final graduation paperwork can be approved.

The Department of World Languages and Literatures has determined that the second language requirement for M.A. and M.A.T. students can be met in the following ways:

1. Equivalent coursework: Students who have passed a course equivalent to PSU level 203 or higher in a second language will be deemed to have met the language requirement. The Graduate School will certify completion upon evaluation of the student’s academic record if the requirement was completed at PSU. If the requirement was completed at a different institution, the Department of World Languages and Literatures will issue a certificate of completion. M.A. and M.A.T. students are responsible for making their academic records available in the first term of admission and requesting evaluation and certification.
2. Students who do not meet the requirement under 1. above should make an appointment with the Department of World Languages and Literatures during the first term after their admission to make an individualized plan for the completion of their language requirement. Options include preparing for and passing one of these evaluations:
   1. Oral proficiency interview
   2. A written test such as
      1. The Graduate Student Foreign Language Test
      2. The CLEP exam
      3. A special exam, administered by the Department of World Languages and Literatures
   3. Coursework after admission: taking a course at level 203 or above in residence or abroad
   4. Special reading courses, if available.

The Department of World Languages and Literatures will teach and test only in languages in which it has expertise. However, off-campus arrangements may be possible with the cooperation of other institutions and the approval of the chair of the Department of World Languages and Literatures. Certification of having passed a second language examination from an institution other than PSU must be approved by the Department Chair of World Languages and Literatures.

A student whose native language is not English may meet the second language requirement in English, except for students in the M.A. in World Languages and Literatures, who are required to demonstrate fluency in two foreign languages other than English at the time of admission and are not required to demonstrate additional competency except as necessary to complete their degree requirements.

Coursework and program of study

In the first year a student should prepare a proposed program of study in consultation with an adviser. The purpose of the planned program of study is to present an organized, individualized plan for coursework, practica, and research activities consistent with the requirements for the proposed degree and approved by the adviser.

If PSU pre-admission credits are to be included on the program of study, the department must submit a DARS exception to the Graduate School. If transfer credits (courses taken at any time from another regionally accredited institution) are to be included on the program of study, the Proposed Transfer Credit form (GO-21M) must be submitted to the Graduate School for approval. See Pre-admission and transfer credit for detailed information.

All master's degrees are approved with a minimum number of required credits. These minimum credit totals cannot be waived even if the approved program of study exceeds the University minimum of 45 credits for a master's degree.

A student must have a minimum 3.00 GPA on the courses applied to the program of study, as well as a minimum 3.00 GPA in all graduate-level courses taken at PSU, in order to graduate. Departments may establish a more rigorous standard. Although grades of C+, C, and C- are below the graduate standard, they may be counted as credit toward a master’s degree with the specific written approval of the department if taken at PSU after the term of formal admission to the graduate program. Grades of D or F indicate clearly unacceptable work and cannot be applied to graduate degree requirements. Audited courses cannot be used to meet any requirement for master’s degrees.

A grade of IP (In Progress) may be used for 501 Research and for 506 Project when a student is progressing in an acceptable manner toward completion of the work; final grades for 501 and 506 credits are submitted by the instructor via an online grade change. An IP grade must be used for 503 Thesis when a student is progressing in an acceptable manner; final grades for 503 credits are assigned by the instructor on the Recommendation for the Degree form (GO-17M) and posted to the student’s transcript after approval of the thesis and certification for graduation by the Graduate School.

All coursework applied to the master’s degree program must be completed within the seven years prior to the awarding of the degree (e.g., a course started in the fall term of 2015 will be beyond the seven-year limitation at the close of fall term 2022).

Degree application

Students must apply for graduation by the first Friday of the anticipated term of graduation; see the Graduate Candidate Deadlines for specific due dates. There is a required $30 fee per application as well as a $2 service charge.

As a one-time courtesy, students who do not complete degree requirements can have their application for graduation carried forward to a future term (typically the next term, but it could be at maximum up to one year in advance). To request that an application for graduation be carried, students must contact the Graduate School in writing and provide an explanation for the graduation delay. If students do not graduate a second time, the application for graduation will be dropped; they will then need to reapply for graduation by the appropriate deadline (and will be assessed a new application fee).

Validation of out-of-date graduate credit

A PSU course more than seven years old at the time of graduation, but no more than ten years old at the time of graduation, may be used toward master’s degree requirements after a successful validation exam (for example, a course taken in fall 2012 may be validated for a graduation term no later than fall 2022). A separate validation examination must be given for each course, in accordance with the full requirements listed on the GO-15 form. Departments are expected to limit validation examinations to those courses that are current and relevant in the discipline and meet the current requirements of the master’s degree program. Validated courses are limited to one third of the program requirements (e.g., 15 credits total in a 45-credit program). Each examination attempted, regardless of result, has a fee of $50.00, which will be credited to the department giving the exam. Payment must be arranged in advance of the exam through the Graduate School and Cashiers.

In very unusual cases, with the specific agreement of both the student’s department and the department most equivalent to the original course department, a student may validate a graduate course from another regionally accredited institution, in accordance with the full requirements listed on the GO-15 form.

Human Research Protection Program

All research involving human subjects conducted by faculty, staff, or students in any program at PSU must have Human Research Protection Program (HRPP) approval. This policy applies to all research under the auspices of the University, including surveys and questionnaires, whether supported by grant, contract, gift, University, or personal funds. The student should allow a minimum of six weeks for the approval process. A student cannot have a thesis committee appointed until HRPP approval is granted.

Final examination

If a final examination is required by the student’s department, it must be taken after successful completion of any required second language examination and after at least 30 credits have been completed. The examination is not a re-examination over coursework but rather a test of the candidate’s ability to integrate material in the major and related fields, including the work in any thesis or research project. A minimum of 1 graduate credit of registration is required when taking any final oral or written examination.

Oral examinations

In the case of a non-thesis oral examination, the committee must consist of at least two members of the student’s department, including the student’s adviser. At the discretion of the department, a faculty member from another department may be added. For M.A.T. and M.S.T. students, one additional member of the committee is required to be a faculty member from the College of Education or a faculty member with pedagogical expertise in the student’s discipline.

Non-thesis final oral examinations (including final project presentations) can only be held during regular academic terms, i.e., not between terms. Examinations must be scheduled and completed by the Friday of finals week for graduation in that term. For summer term graduation, the deadline applies to the regular eight-week summer session dates, i.e., exams must be scheduled and completed by the Friday of the eighth week of summer term.

Passing of the final oral examination requires a majority approval. If the student fails the entire examination or any section thereof, the department may dismiss the student from the master’s program or permit the student to repeat the entire examination, or the section that was failed, after a minimum of three months. The results of the second examination are final.

Written examinations

If a final written examination is required, it can only be held during regular academic terms, i.e., not between terms. Examinations must be scheduled and completed by the Friday of finals week for graduation in that term. For summer term graduation, the deadline applies to the regular eight-week summer session dates, i.e., exams must be scheduled and completed by the Friday of the eighth week of summer term.

If the student fails the entire examination or any section thereof, the department may dismiss the student from the master's degree program or permit the student to repeat the entire examination, or the section that was failed, after a minimum of three months. The results of the second examination are final.

Thesis

The presentation of a thesis as partial fulfillment of the requirements for the master’s degree is required in certain departments and is an option in others. Each school, college, and department defines the nature of research and scholarship accepted for a thesis, but in all cases a high level of resourcefulness, productivity, and mature perception of the discipline is expected. The quality of the culminating work must meet University standards and reflect those of other leading universities. Although the thesis is not required to show original results, it must reveal independent investigation, including the knowledge and application of the accepted methods of scholarship and research methodology. The thesis represents the independent work of the student and must be developed under the direction of the thesis adviser.

The thesis committee must be approved by the Graduate School using the GO-16M form in advance of the thesis defense. The committee must consist of at least three and not more than five faculty members. The chair of the thesis committee must be regular, full-time PSU instructional faculty, tenured or tenure track, assistant professor or higher in rank; the other committee members may be non-tenure track or adjunct faculty. Two of the committee members (the committee chair and one other member) must be from the student’s department; the third member may be from the student’s department or may be PSU faculty from another department or OHSU faculty. If it is necessary to go off campus for one additional committee member with specific expertise not available among PSU faculty, a CV for that proposed member must be presented with the GO-16M form; that member must be in addition to the required three PSU faculty members. All committee members must have master’s degrees or higher.

Students must be registered for at least 1 graduate credit in every term in which they are working on any phase of their thesis, including data development or collection, writing, revision, defense, and finalization through approval by the Graduate School. Students must register for at least 6 to 9 credits of 503 Thesis in their department. (Since students must be continuously enrolled while working on the thesis, they frequently accumulate more than 9 credits of 503 Thesis. However, a maximum of 9 credit of 503 Thesis may be applied to the program of study.) IP (In Progress) is the interim grade reported until the thesis is defended and approved by the student’s thesis committee. Final grades for thesis credits are not recorded until the thesis has been approved by the Graduate School.

A thesis defense may be scheduled only during the regular academic terms, no later than five weeks prior to the close of the term of application for graduation in which the degree will be granted (i.e., must be completed four weeks before the beginning of finals week). For summer term graduation, deadlines apply to the regular eight-week summer session dates. Later completion will result in graduation in a subsequent term. The student must deliver a final draft of the thesis to all members of the approved committee no fewer than 14 days before the thesis defense.

A thesis defense must take place in a meeting with the student and the entire, appointed committee. While it is expected that all members should be physically present, remote participation is permitted under specific conditions. The student’s oral presentation should not exceed 60 minutes. The thesis defense is open to the University faculty and may be open to the public at the department’s discretion. Passing of the thesis defense requires a majority approval. If the student fails the thesis defense, the department may dismiss the student from the master’s program or permit the student to hold a second defense after a minimum of three months. The results of the second defense are final.

After passing the thesis defense, the student will be required to make any necessary edits and revisions. The final, post-defense version of the thesis must be approved by committee members by signing the Thesis Signature Page. For final approval, a majority of committee members must sign the Thesis Signature Page.  

The final thesis must be submitted to the Graduate School not later than three weeks prior to the close of the term of application for graduation. See the Graduate Candidate Deadlines for specific dates. For details about thesis formatting and submission, see the Thesis and Dissertation Information available from the Graduate School.

Doctoral degrees

Preliminary examination

Early in the doctoral program the student may be required to take preliminary examinations. The scope and content of the examination, and the standard of performance, is determined by the doctoral program.

Advisory committee

When a student enters the doctoral program, a faculty adviser will be designated by the program to advise the student and to meet in regular consultation concerning the program of study and research. It is recommended that students also have an advisory committee appointed that should consist of at least three faculty members representative of the student’s field of study. The members of the advisory committee should be appointed after successful completion of 9 credits and not later than six months prior to the completion of the comprehensive examinations.

Language requirement

For the Ph.D. degree, the student may be required to demonstrate competency in at least one second language. Any second language requirement must be completed before the comprehensive examinations.

Residency requirement

Residency for a doctoral degree program can be satisfied in one of the following ways:

• Three terms of full-time enrollment (minimum 9 graduate credits applicable to the degree program each term) during the first two years after admission to the program. This may include one or more summer terms.
• Six terms of part-time enrollment (minimum 1 graduate credit applicable to the degree program each term) during the first two years after admission to the program. This may include one or more summer terms.
• A doctoral student who was enrolled in the same major at PSU, and whose matriculation to the doctoral program immediately follows (within one calendar year) the master's degree program, may fulfill the residency requirement during the period in which the student was enrolled in the master's program.

Coursework and doctoral program of study

The doctoral program of study includes coursework, research, internships, and/or seminar credits according to the requirements of the individual doctoral program. A minimum 27 credits of 603 Dissertation is required for all Ph.D. students; a minimum of 18 credits of 603 Dissertation is required for all Ed.D. students. A minimum of three academic years of graduate study beyond the bachelor’s degree (equivalent to 81 quarter credits minimum) is required for all doctoral degrees.

All doctoral degrees are approved with a minimum number of required credits. These minimum credit totals cannot be waived even if the approved program of study exceeds the University minimum of 81 credits for a doctoral degree.

For doctoral degrees, pre-admission and transfer limits are at the discretion of the individual doctoral programs; however, 603 Dissertation credits, or their equivalent, cannot be transferred from another university. Transfer credits are approved via a GO-21D form submitted to the Graduate School. See Pre-admission and transfer credit for detailed information. While potentially all coursework for the degree can be transferred from another institution, the following items must be completed at PSU: comprehensive exams, residency, proposal, advancement to candidacy, and dissertation research.

A student must have a minimum 3.00 GPA on the courses applied to the program of study, as well as a minimum 3.00 GPA in all graduate-level courses taken at PSU, in order to graduate. Doctoral programs may establish a more rigorous standard. Although grades of C+, C, and C- are below the graduate standard, they may be counted as credit toward a doctoral degree with the specific written approval of the doctoral program. Grades of D or F indicate clearly unacceptable work and cannot be applied to graduate degree requirements. Audited courses cannot be used to meet any requirement for doctoral degrees.

A grade of IP (In Progress) may be used for 601 Research and for 606 Project when a student is progressing in an acceptable manner toward completion of the work; final grades for 601 and 606 credits are assigned by the instructor via an online grade change. An IP grade must be used for 603 Dissertation when a student is progressing in an acceptable manner; final grades for 603 Dissertation credits are assigned by the instructor on the Recommendation for the Degree form (GO-17D) and posted to the student’s transcript after approval of the dissertation and certification for graduation by the Graduate School.

All coursework on the program of study, with the possible exception of seminar and internships, must be completed before a student can be advanced to doctoral candidacy. All coursework on the program of study must be satisfactorily completed before graduation.

For students entering a doctoral program with a master’s degree, a maximum of five years will be allowed from admission to completion of all required comprehensive examinations. For students entering with a bachelor’s degree, a maximum of two additional years will be added to this limit, for a maximum of seven years from admission to completion of all comprehensive examinations. Failure to meet this time limit will result in cancellation of admission to the doctoral program.

Comprehensive examination

Before advancement to candidacy and not less than one academic year before all requirements for the doctoral degree are expected to be completed, the student must pass a series of comprehensive examinations in the field of specialization. The examinations may be written, oral, or both. The comprehensive examinations may not be taken until the language requirement, if any, and substantially all the coursework for the degree have been completed. Students must be registered for a minimum of 1 graduate credit during the term comprehensive exams are taken. Comprehensive exams are scheduled and administered in accordance with the established rules of the program, which must be made publicly available to students via the program’s website or doctoral student handbook. Comprehensive exams can only be offered during regular academic terms, i.e., not between terms. The doctoral program must notify the Graduate School the student has passed comprehensive exams by submitting the GO-22 form.

If the student fails the entire comprehensive exam or any section thereof, the doctoral program may dismiss the student from the degree program or permit the student to repeat the entire examination, or the section that was failed, after a minimum of three months. The results of the second examination are final.

A maximum of three years will be allowed from the completion of comprehensive examinations to advancement to candidacy. Failure to meet this time limit will result in cancellation of admission to the doctoral program.

Dissertation proposal

After passing the comprehensive examination and identifying a dissertation topic, a dissertation committee is appointed and the student must pass a proposal defense. The dissertation committee will take the place of the advisory committee and the faculty adviser is superseded by the dissertation adviser. The dissertation committee must be approved by the Graduate School using the Appointment of Doctoral Dissertation Committee form (GO-16D).

The dissertation committee must consist of four to six PSU faculty members: the dissertation adviser and a minimum of three and a maximum of five regular members. The chair of the dissertation committee must be regular, full-time PSU instructional faculty, tenured or tenure track, assistant professor or higher in rank; the other three to five committee members may include non-tenure track or adjunct faculty and/or members of the OHSU faculty. If it is necessary to go off-campus for one committee member with specific expertise not available among PSU faculty, a curriculum vitae (CV) for that proposed member must be presented with the GO-16D form. This off-campus member may substitute for one of the three to five regular committee members. All committee members must have doctoral degrees. At the discretion of the program, the designation of co-chair can be requested on the GO-16D form for one regular member of the committee. The designation of co-chair recognizes the significant academic advising role of the committee member, but oversight of the process and procedures and all administrative responsibilities remains with the chair. 

No proposal defense shall be valid without a dissertation committee approved by the Graduate School. The GO-16D form should be submitted to the Graduate School a minimum of six weeks in advance of the estimated date of the dissertation proposal meeting. The student must deliver a draft of the dissertation proposal to all members of the approved committee no fewer than 14 days before the proposal defense.

A dissertation proposal must take place in a meeting with the student and the entire, appointed committee. While it is expected that all members should be physically present, remote participation is permitted under specific conditions. The student will make an oral presentation of the written proposal for discussion, evaluation, and suggested modification. The final proposal submitted to the committee for approval should be sufficiently detailed and clear to provide a blueprint for the study to follow. The proposal is expected to include the following:

1. General nature and present status of knowledge of the problem.
2. The theoretical and empirical framework within which the proposed problem exists.
3. The significance of the proposed research and its likely contributions.
4. The research methodology to be used.

The doctoral program recommends the student for advancement to candidacy once the dissertation proposal has been approved.

Human Research Protection Program

All research involving human subjects conducted by faculty, staff or students in any program at PSU must have Human Research Protection Program (HRPP) approval. This policy applies to all research under the auspices of the University, including surveys and questionnaires, whether supported by grant, contract, gift, University, or personal funds. After proposal approval, the student must submit a HRPP application to the Office of Research Integrity if human subjects are involved in the research in any way. A student cannot be advanced to candidacy until HRPP approval is granted. The student should allow a minimum of six weeks for the approval process.

Advancement to Candidacy

A student is advanced to candidacy after successful defense of the dissertation proposal and with the recommendation of the doctoral program, after verification of the student’s program of study, and after HRPP approval has been granted (if applicable). The doctoral program must request advancement to candidacy by submitting the GO-23 form to the Graduate School. The Dean of the Graduate School retains final approval authority for advancement to candidacy.

A doctoral candidate has a minimum of four months and a maximum of five years from the effective date of advancement to candidacy to complete all requirements for graduation, including defense of the dissertation and its final approval by the Graduate School (doctoral programs may have stricter requirements). Candidates must be continuously enrolled during that period. Failure to meet this time limit will result in cancellation of admission to the doctoral program.

Dissertation preparation

With guidance of the dissertation committee, the candidate presents a dissertation setting forth the results of original and independent investigation. The dissertation must constitute a contribution to knowledge, significantly enlarging, modifying, or reinterpreting what was previously known. Until the degree is granted, the student enrolls for the number of graduate credits appropriate to the amount of University services utilized, as determined by the dissertation adviser, with a minimum of 1 graduate credit each term. Ph.D. students must register for a minimum of 27 credits of 603 Dissertation before graduation; Ed.D. students must register for a minimum of 18 credits of 603 Dissertation before graduation. Continuous enrollment of a minimum 1 graduate credit is required through the term a student graduates, even if this results in more than 27 (18) credits of 603 Dissertation at the time of graduation. Ph.D. and Ed.D. students should only register for 603 Dissertation credits after advancement to candidacy.

Degree application

Students must apply for graduation by the first Friday of the anticipated term of graduation; see the Graduate Candidate Deadlines for specific due dates. There is a required $30 fee per application as well as a $2 service charge.

As a one-time courtesy, students who do not complete degree requirements can have their application for graduation carried forward to a future term (typically the next term, but it could be at maximum up to one year in advance). To request that an application for graduation be carried, students must contact the Graduate School in writing and provide an explanation for the graduation delay. If students do not graduate a second time, the application for graduation will be dropped; they will then need to reapply for graduation by the appropriate deadline (and will be assessed a new fee).

Dissertation defense

After preparation of the written dissertation, the candidate’s dissertation committee will conduct a dissertation defense. A dissertation defense may be scheduled only during the regular academic terms, no later than five weeks prior to the close of the term of application for graduation in which the degree will be granted (i.e., must be completed four weeks before the beginning of finals week). For summer term graduation, deadlines apply to the regular eight-week summer session dates. Later completion will result in graduation in a subsequent term. The student must deliver a final draft of the dissertation to all members of the approved committee no fewer than 14 days before the dissertation defense.

The dissertation defense, which is open to the public, is the culminating experience in the doctoral studies. The candidate is expected to prepare an oral presentation on the research methodology and results. The oral presentation should not exceed 60 minutes. Following the oral presentation, the candidate must defend the dissertation as a worthy contribution to knowledge in its field and must demonstrate a mastery of the field of specialization as it is related to the dissertation. The questioning and discussion are for the purpose of: (1) further enlightenment of the candidate and the committee of the significance and limitations of the research, and (2) demonstration that the candidate has met the high expectations of the University for the awarding of the doctoral degree.

A dissertation defense must take place in a meeting with the student and the entire, appointed committee. While it is expected that all members should be physically present, remote participation is permitted under specific conditions. For dissertation approval, there may be no more than one dissenting vote on the dissertation defense. If the student fails the dissertation defense, the doctoral program may dismiss the student from the program or permit the student to hold a second defense after a minimum of three months. The results of the second defense are final.

After passing the dissertation defense, the student will be required to make any necessary edits and revisions. The final, post-defense version of the dissertation must be approved by committee members by signing the Dissertation Signature Page. For final approval, there may be no more than one committee member who does not approve the final, post-defense version of the dissertation by not signing the Dissertation Signature Page.  

The final dissertation must be submitted to the Graduate School not later than three weeks prior to the close of the term of application for graduation. See the Graduate Candidate Deadlines for specific dates. For details about thesis formatting and submission, see the Thesis and Dissertation Information available from the Graduate School.

Time limitations

For students entering a doctoral program with a master’s degree, a maximum of five years will be allowed from admission to completion of all required comprehensive examinations. For students entering with a bachelor’s degree, a maximum of two additional years will be added to this limit, for a maximum of seven years from admission to completion of all comprehensive examinations. Doctoral programs may have stricter requirements. Failure to meet this time limit will result in cancellation of admission to the doctoral program.

A maximum of three years will be allowed from the completion of comprehensive examinations to advancement to candidacy. Doctoral programs may have stricter requirements. Failure to meet this time limit will result in cancellation of admission to the doctoral program.

A doctoral candidate has a minimum of four months and a maximum of five years from the effective date of advancement to candidacy to complete all requirements for graduation, including defense of the dissertation and its final approval by the Graduate School. Doctoral programs may have stricter requirements. Candidates must be continuously enrolled during that period. Failure to meet this time limit will result in cancellation of admission to the doctoral program.