Graduate Programs

Whitworth offers the following graduate and professional degrees:

Graduate Studies in Business (GSB)

School of Business: Sinead Voorhees, Assistant Dean of GSB, gradadmissions@whitworth.edu

  • Master of Business Administration (MBA)
  • Master of Business Leadership (MBL)
  • Master of Science in Financial Planning (MSFP)

Graduate Studies in Education (GSE)

College of Arts, Science and Education: School of Education: gradadmissions@whitworth.edu

  • Master of Arts in Teaching, Gifted Education & Equitable Instruction
  • Master of Arts in Applied Behavior Analysis
  • Master of Education in Social Emotional Learning
  • Master of Education in Teaching & Learning
  • Master of Education in Montessori
  • Master of Education in School Counseling

Master in Teaching Program (MIT)

College of Arts, Science and Education: School of Education: gradadmissions@whitworth.edu

Graduate Studies in Health Science

School of Health Science: Elise Migliazzo, Associate Director of Admissions, emigliazzo@whitworth.edu

  • Doctor of Occupational Therapy
  • Doctor of Physical Therapy
  • Master of Arts in Marriage & Family Therapy

Academic Policies for Graduate Programs

The following policies are in effect for all graduate programs.* Please note that each program may have additional policies listed under the specific program descriptions located in other sections of this catalog.

*Doctoral students are beholden to the policies and processes outlined in their student handbooks.

Academic Standards

  1. Completion of all semester credits in approved courses, following a degree plan, is required for all master’s degrees. This is in addition to any required prerequisites.
  2. Master’s degree and certification candidates must achieve a cumulative grade-point average of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale for all courses taken as part of an approved graduate degree.
  3. No credit toward a master’s degree or certification program will be allowed for a course in which the student receives a grade of “C-” or lower. Note: Programs may require higher than a "C-"; please see specific program descriptions. Courses in which a grade of “C-” or lower is earned, if required for the degree or certification program, must be repeated. Following any term/module in which a student’s cumulative grade-point average is below 3.0, the student may be placed on academic probation.
  4. Grades of P/NC are not allowed in any graduate-level course.
  5. A grade of incomplete (“I”) is approved for regular courses in emergency situations only. The incomplete must be made up by six weeks into the following long semester. If satisfactory progress is not made on completing the required work, an appropriate final grade will be awarded.
  6. Credits toward a graduate degree must have been completed within six years of matriculation.
  7. A six-semester-credit course load qualifies a student as full time during each term (fall semester, spring semester, summer terms). A four-semester-credit course load qualifies a student as being enrolled at three-quarter-time status. A three-semester-credit course load qualifies a student for half-time status.
Policy on Transfer or Substitution of Graduate Credits

Whitworth graduate programs may allow students to request a transfer of credits or a substitution of courses that matches their program of study for up to 25 percent of the required total credits. Transferred credits will be in the form of graduate courses taken at another university. A substitution for a course within the program of study can be made based on prior learning experiences that fulfills the requirements for the course.

Regardless of the amount of credits accepted for transfer or substitution, a student must take a minimum of 30 credits for a master’s degree or 90 hours of credits for a doctorate within their program at Whitworth University.

Students need to submit a request and receive approval for transfer of credits or substitution of courses with the program advisor before starting or during their first semester of their graduate program. Requests after completing the first semester will not be accepted except in extenuating circumstances. Please contact the graduate program chair as to whether transfers or substitution are accepted, and if so, the process for making these requests.

Final approval of transfers of credits and substitution of courses are at the discretion of the Office of the University Registrar.

Appeals

Grade Appeals:

The right of appeal, through instructors/professors/deans in the following order, is available for students who feel they have received an unfair grade:

  1. The instructor of the course
  2. The program director
  3. The dean or dean's designee of the school
Appeals in cases of suspension or expulsion:

Discuss the issue first with the program director; the right of appeal is available to all students if the appeal is presented in writing within three weeks of the incident, to the following people in the following order:

  1. The program director
  2. A committee composed of the dean of the school, the director/chair of the program, and representatives of the program
  3. The Educational Review Board

Class Attendance

Please see university class attendance policy listed within this catalog on the Academic Information page.

Withdrawal and Hiatus

Please see university class withdrawal and hiatus policies listed within this catalog on the Academic Information page.

Active Status and Suspension

Students who do not register for credits during any given semester will be withdrawn and inactivated. Should a student choose to return, they must reapply through graduate admissions and are responsible for any new university or program requirements.

Students may be suspended, expelled or placed on academic probation for failure to meet academic standards and for plagiarism, cheating, misrepresentation of background information, or violation of respective program requirements and university behavior expectations. Subsequent readmission follows the procedures for new admission under the catalog requirements in effect at the time of reapplication.

Application for Graduation and Commencement Participation

Students must complete an application for graduation during the fall of the academic year in which they will complete their degree. The graduation application is available in Self-Service. In order to be eligible to apply for graduation, and subsequently, participate in the May commencement ceremony, a student’s coursework at Whitworth must be completed before the start of the next academic year.

Students who apply for graduation and are unable to complete their degree requirements by their anticipated completion date must submit a second application for graduation if all their degree requirements are not met within one year of their original anticipated graduation date and are subject to all applicable fees.

Detailed commencement information will be sent to all students who have been approved to graduate and indicate they will participate in the commencement ceremony.

Whitworth University reserves the right to withhold diplomas until all campus debts are cleared and all holds on student records are removed.