Interviewing of Applicants
Before seeking admission to a graduate program, students are advised to speak with the program director. In certain programs, a personal interview is a requirement as part of the application process. See specific program requirements for details.
Classification of Students
A student may be admitted to a graduate program with regular or provisional student status, and may enroll as a full-time or half-time student.
Regular - Those students approved unreservedly for admission to graduate study are granted regular status. An undergraduate grade point average of 3.0 or higher is required for regular status (except in the MBA program, which requires a minimum of 2.75).
Provisional - In some programs, newly admitted students are assigned provisional status until certain program prerequisites have been met. Students who fail to qualify for regular status because of grade point average or lack of completion of specific prerequisites may be granted provisional status.
NOTE: Students who have applied for graduate studies before completing their undergraduate work may be admitted as regular or provisional status students with the condition that work cannot begin until they have successfully completed their bachelor's degree and official transcripts with the degree have been received by the Office of the Provost and Dean of Graduate Studies. International students lacking adequate English skills are not officially admitted.
Non-matriculated - Students holding a bachelor's degree who wish to pursue course work with no intention of qualifying for an advanced degree at PLU are classified as non-matriculated students. A non-matriculated student may take a maximum of nine semester hours of 500-level courses. A non-matriculated student may take an unlimited number of continuing education hours.
Full-time - Graduate students enrolled for eight or more semester hours in fall or spring semester are considered full-time.
Half-time - Graduate students enrolled for at least four but less than eight semester hours in fall or spring semester are considered half-time.
Provisional to Regular:
Student status will be changed from provisional to regular after
the following conditions have been met: satisfactory fulfillment of
course deficiencies; satisfactory completion of eight semester hours of
graduate work with a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher;
or satisfactory completion of departmental or school requirements.
Non-matriculated to Regular/Provisional
Student status will be changed from non-matriculated to regular/provisional
after the non-matriculated student completes the normal application
process and is accepted into a regular degree program. Credit earned
during non-matriculated classification may count toward a graduate
degree, but only as recommended by the faculty advisory committee and
approved by the dean of graduate studies after the student has been
admitted to a degree program. No such credit can be counted that
carries a grade lower than B-. In all cases, a letter indicating change
of status will be forwarded to the student, with a copy to the advisor
and/or program director.
International Students
To allow ample time for visa and other departure procedures,
international applicants should have their application and all
supporting documents on file in the Office of Admission no less than
four months before a proposed date of entry. The following documents
are necessary before an application can be processed.
International students are required to submit a non-refundable $300.00
advance payment following an offer of admission. This payment is the
student's acknowledgment of acceptance and is credited to the student's
account to be applied toward expenses of the first term of enrollment.
An I-20 form (Certificate of Eligibility for Non-Immigrant Student
Status) will be issued only after all documents have been received, the
application has been reviewed, the student has been offered admission
and accepted, a certification of finances has been received, and the
$300.00 advanced payment has been received. Certification from banks
and embassies is permissible. A financial statement form is available
on the Web or from the Office of Admission upon request. The I-20 form
should be taken to the U.S. Consulate when requesting a visa to come to
the United States for a graduate program.
International students are required by immigration regulations to enroll as full-time students (a minimum of eight credit hours per semester). They are also required to submit the appropriate medical forms to the university's Health Service. Students may also be required to have a physical exam.
Before enrolling for classes, all international students are required to have health and medical insurance, which is obtained through the university after arrival on campus.
International graduate students must also report to International Student Services at 253.535.1794, upon registration for purposes of immigration and university record-keeping.
Faculty Advising
Upon admission each student will be assigned a faculty advisor responsible for assisting the student in determining a program of study. When appropriate, the advisor will chair the student's advisory committee. Students are encouraged to meet with their advisors early in their programs.
Hours Required for the Master's Degree
A minimum of 32 semester hours is required. Individual programs may require more than the minimum number of semester hours, depending upon prior preparation and specific degree requirements. Any prerequisite courses taken during the graduate program shall not count toward fulfillment of graduate degree requirements.
Transfer of Credit
Graduate work from another institution may be accepted for transfer upon petition by the student and approval by the program director. Eight semester hours may be transferable to a 32-semester-hour program.
In degree programs requiring work beyond 32 semester hours, more
than eight semester hours may be transferred. In any case, the student
must complete at least 24 semester hours of the degree program at
Pacific Lutheran University.
Time Limit
All requirements for the master's degree, including credit earned before admission, must be completed within seven years. The seven-year limit covers all courses applied to the master's degree, credit transferred from another institution, comprehensive examinations, research, and final oral examination. The seven-year limit begins with beginning date of the first course applicable to the graduate degree. (See also Satisfactory Progress Policy.)
Residency Requirement
All candidates for the master's degree must complete 24 semester hours of Pacific Lutheran University courses.
Immunization Policy
All graduate students are required to provide a university health history form with accurate immunization records of measles, mumps, rubella, and tetanus-diphtheria to Health Services. Students born before January 1, 1957, must provide documentation for tetanus-diphtheria (Td) booster within the last 10 years. All international students are required also to have a tuberculosis skin test. This test will be done at Health Services after arrival at the university. The cost is $20.00. Students with questions or concerns about the immunization policy should contact Health Services at 253.535.7337.
Courses Taken on a Pass/Fail Basis
If a graduate student's program includes a course where students may elect a letter grade or the pass/fail option, graduate students must opt for the letter grade.
Courses Acceptable for Graduate Credit
All 500-numbered courses described in this catalog are graduate level. In some graduate programs, a limited number of 300-level and 400-level courses may be accepted for graduate credit. (See Degree and Course Offerings for graduate course descriptions.) A maximum of four semester hours of continuing education credit may be accepted toward a master's degree. The School of Business does not accept continuing education coursework. This applies to continuing education credit taken at PLU or transferred from another university. All courses accepted for the master's degree are subject to the approval of the program director and the dean of graduate studies.
Entry-Level Master of Science of Nursing
All required undergraduate level coursework in Nursing (or its equivalent in the Entry-Level Master of Science in Nursing Program) is considered part of the ELMSN graduate program.
Graduate Credit for Seniors
If, during the last semester of the senior year, a candidate for a baccalaureate degree finds it possible to complete all degree requirements with a registration of fewer than 16 semester hours of undergraduate credit, registration for graduate credit may be permissible. However, the total registration for undergraduate requirements and elective graduate credit shall not exceed 16 semester hours during the semester. A memorandum stating that all baccalaureate requirements are being met during the current semester must be signed by the appropriate department chair or school dean and presented to the dean of graduate studies at the time of such registration. This registration does not apply toward a higher degree unless it is later approved by the student's graduate program advisor and/or advisory committee.
Petitions:
It is the student's responsibility to formally petition the graduate program's director or School's dean for transfer credit, change of program or advisor, or any exception to policy. Petition forms may be obtained from advisors.
Standards of Work
The minimum standard acceptable for the master's degree is a grade point average of 3.00 in all graduate work. Graduate-level credit will not be given for any class in which the grade earned is lower than a C-.
A student whose grade point average falls below 3.00 is subject to dismissal from the program. In such instances, the recommendation for dismissal or continuance is made by the student's advisory committee and acted upon by the dean of graduate studies.
Academic Probation
A student pursuing the master's degree who fails to maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.00 may be placed on academic probation. When such action is taken, the student will be notified by letter from the Director or Dean of the individual program. A graduate student on probation who fails to attain a cumulative grade point average of 3.00 in the next term of enrollment may be dismissed from the program. A graduate student cannot earn a master's degree with less than a 3.00 cumulative grade point average in all graduate-level work.
Thesis and Research Requirements
Students are required to present evidence of ability to do independent research. This can be demonstrated in three ways. See each program section for explanation of research options within each graduate program.
The first method is a thesis. Those students writing theses must submit their original theses for binding and microfilming by ProQuest of Ann Arbor, Michigan. In addition, a Dissertation Services publishing form and an abstract of 150 words or fewer must be submitted with the publishing fee, to Office of the Provost and Dean of Graduate Studies, no later than three weeks before graduation. Fees for microfilming, publishing abstracts, and binding original theses for the permanent PLU library collection are paid by students (see Tuition and Fees section).
The second method is a research paper. If a program requires or students elect research paper options, one original paper must be submitted to the Provost and Dean of Graduate Studies with an abstract of 150 words or fewer, no later than three weeks before graduation. Research papers will be microfilmed at PLU and placed in the PLU library collection. Microfilming fees are paid by students.
Theses and research papers must be submitted to the Office of the Provost and Dean of Graduate Studies not later than three weeks before graduation. All theses and papers presented must be clean, error-free, and follow the APA Style Manual. Details are available from the University Archivist, who reviews all manuscripts to ensure that they conform to university requirements.
The third method of fulfilling research requirements used in some programs is paper presentations or culminating projects in specific courses designed to comprehensively integrate a program's material while promoting independent research and study.
Examinations
Written comprehensive examinations and/or oral examinations are required in all School of Education graduate programs. These examinations normally will be scheduled no later than three to six weeks before commencement. In any case, the final written comprehensive examination must be passed no later than three weeks before commencement. The oral examination over the thesis or research is conducted under the direction of the student's advisory committee and must be completed successfully no later than three weeks before commencement.
Graduation
All courses must be completed, final grades recorded, examinations passed, and thesis/research requirements fulfilled for a degree to be awarded. Graduate students must apply for graduation by the following dates:
| Graduation Date | Graduation Application Due | Thesis Due |
| December 2006 | May 1, 2006 | December 1, 2006 |
| May 2007 | December 1, 2006 | May 1, 2007 |
| August 2007 | December 1, 2006 |
August 1, 2007 |
Note: The thesis/research paper(s) must be signed by the
major advisor and have been read by the entire committee before
submission to the Office of the Provost and Dean of Graduate Studies.
Graduation Application forms are available in Student Services, on the Registrar's Office
website and outside Student Services on the information wall.
Responsibilities and Deadlines
It is the responsibility of each graduate student to know and follow the procedures outlined in this catalog and to abide by established deadlines. See individual master's programs and concentrations for specific degree requirements.
Note: If a student fails to complete the necessary requirements for graduation, the application for graduation will not automatically be forwarded to the next commencement date.