Comprehensive Standard #3.6.1 (Content of graduate programs)

The institution's post-baccalaureate professional degree programs, and its mater's and doctoral degree programs, are progressively more advanced in academic content than undergraduate programs.

Compliance Certification

The College of William and Mary is in compliance with this comprehensive standard.

Explanation

As noted in Core Requirement 2.7.1, the College offers degrees at the bachelor's, master's, doctoral, and professional levels. The College of Arts and Sciences offers bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees. The School of Business offers bachelor's and master's degrees. The School of Education offers master's, education specialist, and doctoral degrees. The School of Law offers a doctoral and the LL.M. American Legal System degree.

The College of Arts and Sciences offers graduate degrees as follows: master's degrees in ten disciplines and doctoral degrees in seven disciplines. Each of master's degree programs requires at least 24 semester hours of graduate coursework plus a thesis or its equivalent, of which at least 12 must be earned in courses numbered 600 or above. The Master of Arts degree requires successful completion and defense of a thesis. The Master of Science degree in some programs requires a thesis, while in others the thesis is optional. Where it is optional, the M.S. degree requires passing a qualifying examination. Both M.A. and M.S. degrees require an examination covering the entire field of study, which ensures that these programs engage content beyond the baccalaureate degree level.

The Master of Public Policy requires full-time registration for four semesters and a total of 49 semester hours, including a common core of 10 courses in economics, political science, public administration, and law. These courses are taught by regular faculty members in Economics, Government, and Law, ensuring that the courses build from undergraduate-level content to the proper graduate and professional level.

All master's degrees require at least a minimum 3.0 grade point average. (See Requirements for Masters Degrees).

The 2004-2005 Graduate Arts and Sciences Program Catalog notes that all Arts and Sciences doctoral programs require a minimum of three years of graduate study beyond the baccalaureate. A student must spend at least one academic year in continuous residence as a fulltime student at the College of William and Mary after satisfying the requirements for the M.A. or M.S. degree. See Requirements for Doctoral Degrees in Arts and Sciences. All doctoral degrees require a comprehensive examination, ensuring that program content is progressively more advanced from baccalaureate, to master's, to doctoral degree. In addition, all doctoral degrees in Arts and Sciences require the successful defense of a doctoral dissertation, which is based on original research and constitutes a contribution to scholarly knowledge in the field.

The School of Marine Science offers the M.S. and the Ph.D. in Marine Science. Coursework builds on the required undergraduate curriculum that is prerequisite to admission to the graduate program. In addition, both the M.S. and the Ph.D. degrees require a qualifying examination. M.S. students must demonstrate a solid foundation in the fundamentals of marine science as it pertains to their research is expected. Ph.D. students must demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of their chosen field of study and of how their research represents a unique contribution to that field. (See School of Marine Sciences Degree Requirements.)

The School of Business offers master's degrees in business administration (M.B.A.) through full-time, evening (part-time), and Executive M.B.A. program formats, and a full-time Master of Accounting (MAC) degree. Requirements for the successful completion of all graduate programs in the School of Business Administration include a graduating GPA of at least 2.75.

The full-time M.B.A. program consists of four semesters over a two-year period comprising 64 credit hours. The first year of the full-time program consists of 31 credit hours of required courses, referred to as the "core," and three credit hours of electives. At the end of the first year, students are strongly encouraged to participate in an internship to further their knowledge of the business community. The second year of the full-time program, referred to as the "Acceleration Year," consists of 30 credit hours. Included in the required courses are a four and one-half hour Field Consultancy Program or participation in the Batten Fund Program, a three hour Global Competitive Strategy, and a choice of two Career Acceleration Modules (CAM), each of which is six credit hours. The Field Consultancy Program consists of student teams that research and propose solutions to real business problems from client companies. Each student project team works under the guidance of a faculty member and an Executive (Business) Partner to address real management issues and to develop a deeper understanding of the interdependence of functional areas and to strengthen and refine teamwork and communication skills. The Batten Fund offers students the opportunity to manage a stock portfolio in real-time.

The evening M.B.A. Program consists of 54 credit hours, 39 of which are required courses. The program is designed so that a student can finish the course requirements in three and a half years taking two courses per semester, including the summer semester. With the exception of the Field Consultancy or Batten Fund programs, evening M.B.A. students receive the same "core" courses as the full-time students.

The William and Mary Executive M.B.A. program is designed to help mid-level and executive management professionals maintain an active career while earning an M.B.A. degree. The Executive M.B.A. program is a 20-month academic program with classes entering only in January. There are two sections, one conducted in Williamsburg and the other offered in Reston, Virginia. Instructors who teach in both sections are full-time William and Mary faculty. Classes are held in Williamsburg on alternating Fridays and Saturdays from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm . In Reston, classes are held on alternating Saturdays and Sundays from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm . In addition, there are three residency weeks held at the beginning of the first, third and fourth semesters which include five full days of class work. Between the fourth and fifth semester there is a 12-day international study residency that generally includes two countries. Incorporated in this international experience are academic presentations, meetings with government officials, and several visits with corporate executives. This international residency is a part of the required course in the program.

The Executive M.B.A. program operates over five semesters, including two summers. There are 48 credit hours in the program. Required classes include 42 credit hours in the "lock step" programmatic format. Students select the elective classes during the final semester of the program.

In addition to the Master's degree in Business Administration (M.B.A.), the William and Mary School of Business Administration offers a two-semester, full-time Master of Accounting (MAC) degree. All students are required to complete 30 credit hours, with 15 of those hours comprising the "universal core." For those students entering the program without Cost Accounting, Auditing, or Federal Taxation, their core expands to include those courses for a total of up to 24 "core" hours. The remaining hours are completed with electives either in the School of Business Administration or, with instructor permission, in the Marshall-Wythe School of Law or the Computer Science Department of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences.

Students may elect an emphasis in Taxation. To earn the designation, students must complete 12 hours of tax courses, drawing from both the Law School and the School of Business Administration .

The graduate programs were designed by and the courses are taught by full-time and continuing members of the School and Business faculty, ensuring that course content builds from undergraduate courses and is more advanced in academic content than are those courses taught at the undergraduate level. In addition, the Business School programs are accredited through the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.

The School of Education offers the following graduate programs: Master of Education (M.Ed.) in five fields, a Master of Arts in Education (MA.Ed.) in specialization areas, an educational specialist (Ed.S.) in one field, and doctoral degrees (Ed.D. and Ph.D.) in two programs. Depending on the specialization, the MA.Ed. requires between 35 credits and 45 credits, which include culminating experiences of a research project and a field collaboration project. The M.Ed. requires a minimum of 30 credits, and culminating experiences of internships and in one case, a master's project. The MA.Ed. programs in Curriculum and Instruction are based on a cohort concept, requiring full-time, four-semester matriculation. The Ed.S. in School Psychology requires 60 credits beyond the bachelor's degree with as many as 45 hours being transferred from a master's degree program and other graduate study as long as all program requirements are met.

The degrees of Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) and (Ph.D.) are offered in two programs: Counselor Education and Educational Policy, Planning, and Leadership. Counselor Education requires 96-105 credits beyond the bachelor's degree and may include up to 48 credits earned toward the master's degree. Educational Policy, Planning, and Leadership requires a minimum of 48 credits beyond the master's degree for the Ed.D. and 69 credits for the Ph.D. The School of Education Graduate Programs 2004-2005 notes the following requirements:

A. A candidate for a doctoral degree must submit and defend a dissertation to his/her Dissertation Committee. Dissertation research for the Ed.D. degree must build upon prior scholarship and theory and apply research findings to illuminate and enhance educational policy and practice. Dissertation research for the Ph.D. should make an original contribution to educational knowledge and theory in a manner that will impact educational practice.

B. Each candidate must defend his/her dissertation in a public forum. All committee members must attend the defense. A unanimous approval of the committee members is required for approval of the dissertation at the defense. Following successful defense, and no less than two weeks prior to commencement, two copies of the final approved dissertation must be delivered to the administrative office in the Swem Library for binding and microfilming.

The faculty of the School of Education ensure that graduate programs are progressively more advanced in academic content through compliance with appropriate accreditation standards. Professional education programs are accredited by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) and the Virginia Department of Education. The Ed.S. School Psychology program is accredited by the National Association of School sychologists (NASP). The Counseling and Counselor Education program is accredited by CACREP, The Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs. In addition, the graduate programs are designed and the courses are taught by full-time continuing members of the School of Education faculty.

The School of Law ensures the quality of its curriculum through compliance with accreditation standards of the American Bar Association.

References