Academic Information and Policies
Transfer Credit Requirement. A maximum of 12 credit hours of graduate level work taken at other accredited institutions but not previously applied toward a degree may be approved by petition to the department. No courses with grades less than B qualify for transfer credit. Extension courses may be transferred if they are acceptable as graduate credit by the accredited college or university offering them. "P" or "S" grades may be transferred after specific review by the designated department, but will not be considered when computing the GPA.
Waiving Content Requirements. On occasion content required for the graduate program at Walla Walla University may have been covered in a course applied to an earlier degree. All courses considered for waiver must have been passed with a grade of B or higher, taken within the last five years, and submitted to the department for their review and approval. After being approved by the department, the content required by the graduate program may be waived but the total hours required for the degree is not reduced. A validation exam over the content area may be required in some programs with exceptions made in the case of second advanced degrees. There is a fee for this examination.
Resident Credit. All credits earned toward a master's degree will normally be taken at Walla Walla University. No more than 12 credits of graduate work taken before official acceptance into a graduate program may be applied to a master’s degree. Courses numbered 350-399 may be included in the graduate program with approval of the Graduate Council. No more than six quarter hours of workshop (474) courses will be included in a program. A minimum of 33 quarter hours toward the biology; education; or cinema, religion, and worldview programs; and 40 hours toward the Social Work program must be taken in residence.
Second Master’s Degree. If degree requirements overlap with graduate work already taken, a student seeking a second graduate degree may seek a reduction in the total number of required credits. See individual programs for specific requirements.
Graduate Credit for Seniors. Seniors who are within 28 hours of completing their baccalaureate degree may be eligible to take up to 12 approved credits to be applied toward a Walla Walla University graduate program. To apply, students must submit a petition, available on-line or from the Office of Graduate Studies, and a copy of a degree audit or a copy of their approved senior outline. Approval to register is granted only after determination of the student’s eligibility for admission to a graduate program and satisfactory completion of necessary course prerequisites.
Unregistered Student Attendance of Classes. Only students who are officially registered will be allowed to attend graduate classes after the third week of school.
Changes in Registration. Changes in registration may be made during the first four days of the term without charge. Course changes after that time require advance permission from the instructor and from the student’s academic advisor. Courses may not be added after that tenth day of any quarter.
Course Load. The maximum credit load per quarter for graduate students is 14 hours for social work; education; and cinema, religion, and worldview; and 12 hours in biology. Incomplete grades from previous quarters are added to the total course credit load of each quarter. A petition must be made to Graduate Council to exceed these limits. For purposes of loan deferment 7 hours of graduate work is considered a minimum load. For visa qualification 8 hours of graduate work is considered a minimum load.
Withdrawals. Students withdrawing from a graduate program must file a withdrawal form with the Office of Graduate Studies. If individual courses need to be changed, added, or dropped during a term, students must file an official change of registration form with the Office of Graduate Studies. These forms must first be signed by the advisor and the instructor(s) concerned. The final date for dropping a course is listed in the academic calendar.
Academic Integrity Statement. An integral part of the mission of Walla Walla University is to prepare its students to be responsible individuals who are guided by Christian values. The University, therefore, expects all members of its community to practice integrity, including a steadfast adherence to honesty. Faculty have a responsibility to foster integrity by example and instruction. Students have a responsibility to learn, respect, and practice integrity. All acts of academic dishonesty, including cheating, plagiarism, forgery, misrepresentation, falsification, prohibited collaboration, and unauthorized use of files, are unacceptable. Departments may have more specific criteria for behavior and skills suitable to their disciplines which will be communicated to students, typically in course syllabi. A violation of academic integrity will result in disciplinary action, which may include expulsion from the program (see department for details).
Satisfactory Academic Progress. Students receiving financial aid must maintain satisfactory academic progress toward degree completion. For graduate students, they must maintain a 3.00 cumulative GPA, complete 70% of classes attempted (both per term and cumulative), and complete the degree within the maximum number of quarters allowed. Detailed information about the policy is available at wallawalla.edu/progress.
Probation and Dismissal Policy. Graduate students whose cumulative GPA for courses taken in their program area at Walla Walla University drops below 3.0 will be placed on academic probation. Default grades for courses with incomplete (I) grades will be calculated into the cumulative GPA for the purpose of determining probationary status. Students placed on academic probation are urged to consider an adjustment in class and work load in consultation with their program advisors. Students whose cumulative GPA is below 3.0 for two consecutive quarters will be subject to dismissal by Graduate Council from their current graduate program and loss of graduate student standing. Notification of this status will be by letter from the Dean of Graduate Studies.
Student Appeals. Student appeals of unsatisfactory decisions and actions related to their graduate programs should be initiated in consultation with the major department and then submitted, as appropriate, to Graduate Council. If satisfaction is not obtained, consult the Walla Walla University Grievance Policy.
Deficiencies. Deficiencies must be made up as early in the program as possible, and may not be made up by audit. A challenge exam over deficiency content can be taken. See undergraduate and financial bulletin for policies and fees.