Comprehensive Examination/Capstone Course
A comprehensive examination, oral defense, action research project and presentation, and/or a capstone course covering the student’s program of study must be passed prior to receiving a graduate degree. Students should consult with the appropriate School for information and instructions concerning these requirements. All core courses must be completed prior to taking the comprehensive examination or capstone course.
The comprehensive examination must be taken during the last regular term of study or at the next available testing date after completing graduate coursework. Test dates for the comprehensive examination are available from the graduate advisor or the academic school dean. The examination must be completed, graded, and passed no fewer than 45 days prior to graduation. It is the student’s responsibility to request permission to take and schedule the date for the comprehensive examination.
The specific nature of the examination will be determined by the student’s advisor and members of the graduate faculty teaching in the student’s field of study. The examination will cover all areas included in the graduate program, including core, specialization, and elective courses. Questions over each area will be developed and the responses evaluated by a faculty member assigned to that area.
The academic school dean will inform both the student and the Graduate Studies Office of the results of the comprehensive examination within two weeks of the examination date. The dean of the respective school may, in consultation with appropriate faculty, elect to conduct either an oral or written follow-up examination over an area in which the student’s responses were judged to be unsatisfactory. A student who fails the comprehensive examination may, at the discretion of the academic school dean in consultation with the executive vice president/ provost, be allowed either to retake the examination after thirty days or to complete additional course work and then retake the examination. However, no student will be allowed to repeat an examination more than once without taking additional course work.
Applying for Degrees, Diplomas and Transcripts
Completion of all degree requirements listed in the academic catalog qualifies a student for graduation. To graduate at a designated time, however, the student must apply for the degree prior to established deadlines and pay all graduation fees.
All graduation requirements must be completed before students can participate in graduation exercises. Students who will complete degree requirements during the current term may be allowed to participate in commencement exercises only if the executive vice president/provost grants permission. The appearance of a student’s name on the commencement program and the fact that the student attends the commencement exercises is no guarantee that the degree will be conferred.
A student who applies for a degree and pays the graduation fee for a given commencement, but who fails to meet degree requirements, must reapply for graduation and pay a discounted graduation fee. If a deadline is missed, the student must reapply for graduation no sooner than the next scheduled graduation.
Final official transcripts are issued only upon completion of all degree requirements and payment of all outstanding financial obligations to the university. No transcript carrying graduate course credit will be issued to a student whose files are incomplete for failure to submit transcripts or other data required by the university, or whose financial account is not clear.
The circumstances under which an external campus student may graduate with Plainview are:
- The student has finished the degree requirements, but will miss the ceremony because of reassignment.
- The student has finished the degree requirements with transfer work and is no longer associated with an external campus.
- The student has finished the degree, but missed the external campus deadline.
Any student who does not meet the criterion stated above will be approved on an individual basis. The executive vice president/provost and the registrar must approve all graduate students for graduation.
Academic transcripts will be available to the student in perpetuity after the student has departed the institution. Such records shall be accessible either through Wayland Baptist University, a successor institution, or through the respective state records center and archives or a comparable retrieval facility.
Letters of Completion
Requests for letters of completion should be made to the Graduate Studies Office.
Career Services
Wayland students on all campuses may request assistance in developing basic job search skills such as interviewing and resume writing by contacting the office of counseling and placement services on the Plainview campus. The office also maintains a job registry to assist students in finding employment.
Commencement Attendance
Candidates completing their work at Wayland Baptist University are required to attend commencement exercises. All degrees conferred will be posted to the student’s permanent record as of the date of the graduation. Appeals to this policy should be made to the vice president of external campuses and graduate services.
Commencement Attendance for Virtual Campus students
Candidates completing their work at Wayland Baptist University through the virtual campus will not be required to participate in, but are strongly encouraged to attend, commencement exercises. All external campuses hold at least one graduation ceremony a year. If a virtual campus student lives near one of the external campus locations or was previously affiliated with a specific campus and wishes to participate in the commencement exercise at the campus, they may do so by applying for graduation by the designated date the campus has established. Students may contact the Graduate Studies Office for a complete list of designated graduation deadlines at external campuses. All degrees conferred will be posted to the student’s permanent record as of the date of the graduation. Appeals to this policy should be made to the vice president of external campuses and graduate studies.
Walk-Only
For external campus graduations, students who are within one term of finishing graduation requirements may, at the discretion of the executive director/campus dean “walk-only” (without having fulfilled degree requirements) at the respective external campus graduation. Students must request in writing to the executive director/campus dean by the deadline issued by the campus for consideration to “walk-only” in a ceremony. Students are allowed to participate in a graduation ceremony only once for each degree.
For Plainview campus graduations, students must contact the office of the registrar by the application for graduation deadline for consideration to “walk-only” in the respective Plainview graduation. Students are allowed to participate in a graduation ceremony only once for each degree.
|
