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Graduate Program

About the Graduate Program

Registration for Fall 2009 (PDF)

Registration for Summer 2009 (PDF)

Washington College offers part-time programs leading to the Master of Arts in English, History, and Psychology and graduate course work in the field of Education. Fall, spring, and summer sessions are held, mainly in the evening. The Master of Arts degree is awarded to students who complete a 30 semester-hour program (10 courses) as specified by the appropriate department. For a graduate catalog and further information, write: The Graduate Office, Washington College, Chestertown, MD 21620, or contact Kathryn W. Sack, Ph.D., Assistant Dean, Graduate Programs.

The College

William Smith Hall

Washington College is a private, coeducational, four-year college of the liberal arts and sciences with an undergraduate enrollment of approximately 1,300 students, a graduate enrollment of 50-75 (mostly part-time) degree-seeking students, and a varying number of non-degree-seeking students. Founded in 1782 under the patronage of George Washington, it was the first college chartered in the new nation. The College is located in Chestertown, a quiet, historic river town of approximately 3,700 people. With its unusual collection of 17th- and 18th-century homes, Chestertown is rich in the history of colonial America.

Washington College is located about one hour by car from Dover, Wilmington, Annapolis, and Easton; one-and-a-half hours from Baltimore, Washington and Philadelphia; and just three hours from New York City. The spacious 120-acre campus provides an atmosphere for study that is almost unique in today's busy, crowded world.

Miller Library is a dynamic place where active teaching and learning occurs at all times. The library provides: a rich collection of resources befitting the curriculum; technology to facilitate innovative forms of electronic delivery of our resources and services any time and from anywhere; a research instruction and reference program designed to empower students to become independent learners and to cope with the rigors of research papers and projects; an environment equipped with teaching and learning spaces and workstations for individual and group study, research and computing; and librarians and staff who are confident, innovative, and dynamic facilitators and communicators.

The library faculty encourages in students a sense of curiosity and a desire to explore a wide range of information, fosters their critical thinking skills, and teaches them how to acquire, evaluate, and organize information. The staff strives to support faculty in their individual intellectual endeavors, and to foster a total community of active learners.

More than 500,000 books, periodicals, newspapers, government documents, microform, and audiovisual resources comprise the library's collection. A fully networked integrated library system provides access to more than 12,500 electronic resources, 2,000 e-books and numerous links to Internet sources from on- or off-campus. Miller Library is a partial government depository library. The College's archives are housed here. Internet access to our online resources allows us to extend services to students, faculty, and staff. Additionally, interlibrary loan requests can be submitted, and electronic reserve materials can be viewed and downloaded remotely from the library's home page (http://libraryweb.washcoll.edu). State-of-the-art technology enables students to use wireless laptops anywhere in the library.

Newly a part of the library is the Information Commons, a state of the art consortium of academic support and technology units serving students and faculty. Included within the Learning Commons are the Math Center, the Office of Academic Skills, the Multi-Media Center, and Beck Lab.

Academic Calendar

The academic year of the graduate program at Washington College is divided into fall, spring, and summer terms. Specific dates may be obtained from the Office of the Registrar. Courses in English, History, and Psychology are offered semester-long during the evening hours, usually from 7 to 9:30 p.m. Courses in Education are generally offered in a condensed format—fewer classes of longer duration. The Academic Calendar is also posted online at the Washington College website at http://academics.washcoll.edu/calendar.php

Accreditation

Washington College is fully accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools and the Maryland State Department of Education.

The Graduate Program

The College offers graduate programs leading to the Master of Arts in English, the Master of Arts in Psychology, and the Master of Arts in History-Social Sciences. The College also recognizes the needs of qualified college graduates living in the area who may desire advanced course work for personal or professional reasons. For teachers seeking to meet requirements for advanced professional certification and for those seeking additional graduate credit, e.g., M.A. plus 30, the College, offers a variety of Education courses in a number of Maryland locations.

The graduate program is designed to meet the needs of persons in the community who wish to pursue their formal education in selected areas beyond the baccalaureate degree. The primary aim of our program is to enable students to meet the requirements of the Master of Arts degree. Some students, however, continue their graduate education at other institutions, and still others seek credit toward advanced professional certification. In some cases, students take individual courses for personal enrichment. The College occasionally sponsors re-training programs for teachers.

Transfer Policy

Washington College will accept up to nine hours of transfer credit from other accredited graduate institutions. Generally, courses must have been taken within seven years of date of application for transfer credit and earned a grade of "B" or better. Department chairs review transfer credits and consider course content, date of course credit, and special conditions. The Graduate Council is authorized final responsibility for accepting transfer credit in cases where questions arise, either from the student or the department chair. As a matter of general policy, Washington College does not grant transfer credit for courses taught in the mini-course format, for a period of one week or less.

Matriculation Policy

Students not formally admitted to the Graduate Program may enroll in individual classes as non-degree students. Students may complete up to two courses as non-degree students with no official declaration of intent. Upon completion of two courses, the student must be admitted to a degree program or officially declare their permanent status as a non-degree seeking student. Students not declaring an official status will be unable to register for subsequent terms. Only one class completed prior to formal admission will be counted toward completion of course requirements for the Master's Degree.

Employees as Students

Washington College employees may take graduate courses in their first term of employment. However, they are expected to submit an application to a program of study following the application deadlines outlined previously.

  1. New employees or employees who have not applied for admittance to a graduate program or have a pending application, may register for no more than two courses in their first term.
  2. Employees who have not applied for admission to a program of graduate study after completion of two courses must seek admission to a degree program or officially declare their intent to pursue course work as a non-degree student. Students who have not declared a degree status upon completion of two courses will be unable to register for subsequent terms.

Degree Requirements

The Master of Arts degree will be awarded to those students who complete a planned 30 semester-hour program of graduate study as specified by the appropriate department. All graduate courses at Washington College are three credits each. Ordinarily, all degree requirements are to be completed within an eight-year period.

Tuition and Fees

Upon registering for a graduate course in English, History, or Psychology, students must pay a graduate registration fee of $75 per course. Tuition is $875 per course. The fee for auditing courses in the graduate program is $300 per course. Tuition and fees must be paid by the first day of scheduled classes. Any student with outstanding balances at this time will receive an invoice by mail. A late registration fee of $160 will be charged to students who register after the first week of classes. A $160 late payment fee may be added to any account with an outstanding balance after the second week of classes. Students expecting to receive a Washington College degree are subject to a $150 graduation fee.

Tuition for courses in Education offered in cooperation with Regional Training Center (https://www.thertc.net/main.php) is $725. Materials are included in the tuition charge. A deposit of at least $50 is required upon registration for these courses.

Graduate Program fees for English, History and Psychology are:

Tuition and fees must be paid by the first day of scheduled classes. Any student with outstanding balances at this time will receive an invoice by mail. A late payment fee of $75 will be added to any outstanding balance of $750 or more after the second week of class.*

*A late fee is charged when a student has not paid their account in full or made payment arrangements by the officially posted due date for the current semester; or has defaulted on a payment plan; or has financial aid cancelled, in any manner.

Tuition for courses in Education offered in cooperation with Regional Training Center may be found at their website at https://www.thertc.net/cs.php?showall=1

Grades and Transcripts

Grades in courses are awarded as follows:

A - Excellent
B - Good
C - Fair
D - Passing Work
F - Failing Work
P - Pass (thesis credit only)
I - Incomplete
W - Withdrew prior to final class session

A student who receives more than one F or more than two grades lower than B will be dropped from the M.A. program. All incomplete grades must be made up within six months of the final day of the semester.

Students may access their grades at any time by logging onto the College's Web Advisor system. Students wishing to receive a printed grade report may contact the Registrar's office by phone at 410-778-7299. Students wishing to request official transcripts should submit a written request by mail or fax (address: Registrar's Office, Bunting Hall, Washington College, 300 Washington Avenue, Chestertown, MD 21620-1197/fax: 410-810-7159). Students can also make such requests from a Washington College email account by directing a message to Pat Smith (psmith2@ washcoll.edu). Transcript requests should include the following information:

The Office of the Registrar mails transcripts within a week of the request. The College may withhold transcripts from students that have not met their financial obligations. Depending upon the student's years of attendance and/or graduation, the College may require a small fee, not to exceed $5.

Registration

The graduate schedule and pre-registration materials generally become available 1-2 months prior to the start of each term. They may be obtained from, and should be returned to, the Registrar's Office, Bunting Hall, Washington College, 300 Washington Avenue, Chestertown, MD 21620-1197. Payment should accompany registration and may be made via cash, money order, or certified or personal check. Credit cards are not accepted at the Registrar's office.

Students may fax pre-registration forms to the Registrar's Office at 410-810-7159. Registration is also available by phone at 410-778-7299. The College also makes schedules and pre-registration materials available at the Graduate Program website: http://grad.washcoll.edu.

Registration for graduate classes will be closed one week prior to the beginning of classes in order for enrollment to be adjusted and any under-enrolled courses cancelled. Graduate courses require a minimum of five students in order to be held.

Students can register for Education courses online at https://www.thertc.net/main.php, by calling 800-433-4740, or by completing a registration form, available from Regional Training Center or the Registrar's Office. Washington College employees and family members eligible for a tuition waiver should submit registration forms for these classes to the Office of Graduate Admissions.

Cancellation Policies

The College reserves the right to cancel any course for which there is insufficient enrollment. Any instructor who finds it necessary to cancel a day of class will make every effort to notify each student. News of class cancellations due to inclement weather will be broadcast on WBALAM 1090, or may be obtained by calling the College switchboard (410-778-2800) before 4:30 p.m.

Courses of Instruction

Course descriptions are presented as examples of courses offered in the graduate program. While these course listings serve as a reliable guide to the various programs and most courses listed are offered regularly, the College is not obliged to offer on a regular basis any particular course listed.

Administration