Arrival and Onboarding
| Requirement | When to Complete (MS and PhD Students) |
| New Student Checklist Network ID and OKTA, class registration | Before arrival |
| CITI RCR training, including Conflict of Interest | Before arrival |
| I-20 issued on admission, downloaded from myWSU (F-1 students) | On admission |
| Check-in, keys, Cougar Card, Workday onboarding, safety orientation | First weeks |
| Washington residency steps (domestic students) | Within 30 days of arrival |
| Required trainings: EP15, EP45, Cyber Security, Hazing Prevention | Within 6 months, then annually |
| Safety Training for WSU Employees | Once, at time of hire |
Committee and Program of Study
| Requirement | When to complete (MS) | When to complete (PhD) |
| Advisory committee formed | 1st semester; min. 3 WSU faculty, advisor as Chair | 1st semester; min. 4 members, 3 on Graduate Faculty |
| At least one committee member on the Pullman campus | Required for all students | Required for all students |
| Program of Study filed with the Graduate School | By start of 2nd semester | By end of first year (Graduate School: 3rd semester) |
| Transfer credit ceiling | Up to half the graded credits on the Program of Study | Up to half the graded credits on the Program of Study |
Credit Requirements
| Requirement | Credits (MS) | Credits (PhD) |
| Graded coursework (A to F basis) | 21 min., 15 at 500 level; max 6 cr at 300 or 400 level | 34 min., 25 at 500 level; max 9 cr at 300 or 400 level |
| PL_P 429 General Plant Pathology (fall only) | 3 credits | 3 credits |
| PL_P 570 Techniques in Plant Pathology (fall only) | 3 credits | 3 credits |
| Organismal courses: PL_P 511, 513, 514, 521 | N/A | 6 credits min. (at least 2 courses) |
| PL_P 515 Seminar credits and topical seminars presented | 1 credit, 1 seminar | 2 credits, 2 seminars |
| Research credits (PL_P 700 / 800) | 4 cr min.; 2 in the exam term | 20 cr min.; 2 in the exam term |
| Total Credits | 30 minimum | 72 minimum |
Proposal and Preliminary Examination (PhD Only)
| Requirement | When to Complete (PhD Only) |
| Dissertation Research Proposal initiated | Start of 2nd semester |
| Proposal circulated to committee before the defense | At least 10 business days prior |
| Proposal defense presented to the Doctoral Committee | By end of 3rd semester |
| Final proposal approved by the committee | By end of 4th semester |
| Oral Preliminary Examination | About end of year 2; no later than 4 months before defense |
| Prelim scheduling form and outstanding credits | Form 10 working days ahead; max 6 graded credits outstanding |
Final Examination and Graduation
| Requirement | When to Complete (MS) | When to Complete (PhD) |
| Committee meeting to set the defense timeline | One semester before the anticipated defense | One semester before the anticipated defense |
| Complete draft to all committee members | At least 1 month before the examination | At least 1 month before the examination |
| Application for Degree (needs approved POS and 3.0 GPA) | About 3 months ahead; see Graduate School deadlines | About 3 months ahead; see Graduate School deadlines |
| Exam scheduling form and ProQuest draft upload | At least 10 working days ahead (15 for a second attempt) | At least 10 working days ahead (15 for a second attempt) |
| Final Defense Seminar and oral examination | Advisor and all committee members attend both | Advisor and all committee members attend both |
| Combined presentation and question-and-answer period | May not exceed 2.5 hours | May not exceed 2.5 hours |
| Final documents: Approval form, Hold Harmless, final ProQuest | Within 10 business days of the exam | Within 10 business days, plus SED certificate |
| Overall completion deadline | 6 years from earliest course on the POS | 4 years from passing prelims, and 10 years from earliest course |
Every Year, Throughout the Program
| Requirement | When to Complete (MS) | When to Complete (PhD) |
| Advisory committee meeting | At least one per year | At least one per year |
| Annual academic review and CV, submitted via myWSU | Due end of February | Due end of February |
| Credit Expectations Agreement, signed by student and advisor | By week 2 of each research-credit term | By week 2 of each research-credit term |
| Continuous enrollment unless approved for leave | Every fall and spring | Every fall and spring |
| PL_P 515 attendance, in person or by Zoom for REC students | Weekly, Mondays at 4:10 PM | Weekly, Mondays at 4:10 PM |
| Assistantship time limit | Generally up to 3 years | Generally up to 5 years |
Department of Plant Pathology, Washington State University. Summary reference only; it does not replace the Graduate Student Handbook or the Graduate School Policies and Procedures. When Department regulations are stricter than those of the Graduate School, the Department regulations take precedence. Semester-specific dates for graduation applications, exam scheduling, and final exams change each year: confirm them against the Graduate School deadline tables in the current handbook and with your Graduate Academic Coordinator. Governing handbook edition: the semester in which a student’s Program of Study is filed with the Graduate School fixes the edition (year) of the Graduate Student Handbook that governs the remainder of that student’s degree requirements. plantpath.wsu.edu