The Graduate School - Advising Information

Admission to degree programs at WKU is based on approved admission requirements as listed in the Graduate Catalog. Applicants are required to submit the application online and send in all additional supporting materials to the Graduate School. After the applicant submits the required documents, the designated admission coordinator is sent notification via eSignature. A report of all admission applicants is provided to graduate admission coordinators. The department makes an admission recommendation and forwards it to the Graduate School (note that admission is competitive and simply meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee admission to a program). After the Graduate School receives the admission recommendation, notification is sent to the applicant via mail and email. Applicant admission statuses includes Good Standing, Conditional Admit, Program Full, and Denied.

The matriculation forms detailed below are available on our Forms page. Advisors may view approved admission and matriculation documents for advisees via TopNet (Advisors and Student Data Inquiry>Student Info/Maintenance>Electronic Imaged Documents).

PROGRAM OF STUDY (degrees only)
Submitted to graduate.records@wku.edu prior to earning 12 hours in a master’s or specialist degree program or 30 hours in a doctoral degree program.  The POS must include approved curriculum as published in the Graduate Catalog. 

PROGRAM OF STUDY CHANGE FORM (as needed)
Submitted to update a maximum of 4 courses on an approved program of study; more than 4 course changes requires a new program of study.

APPLICATION FOR GRADUATION
Submitted by student via TopNet (Student Services>Student Records>Application for Graduation) at least one semester prior to degree completion. Registrar’s Office form; fee required.

COMPREHENSIVE EXAM/CAPSTONE COMPLETION
Submitted by faculty advisor via TopNet (Advisors and Student Data Inquiry>Graduate Matriculation Forms) upon the student’s completion of the culminating experience for the degree.  Degree requirements must be completed by final day of semester; deadline is same as final grade submission deadline.

COMMITTEE SELECTION (as needed)
Submit online prior to enrolling in 599, 699, or 799 courses.  Committee chair must hold graduate faculty status.  (See Thesis/Dissertation Guidelines)

The holds listed below are the most common holds that are placed on Graduate Students. If you feel that a hold has been applied improperly, please contact us to see about pushing out or removing the hold.

APPLICATION FEE (GF): unpaid fee; payment required before processing the admission application.

NO UG DEGREE (GE): admitted to a graduate program but no final undergraduate transcript submitted.

DEGREE COMPLETE (GB): final degree audit is complete and approved; reapplication required. 

PROGRAM OF STUDY (GD): no degree program of study filed; POS is required prior to earning 12 hours in a master’s or specialist program or 36 hours in a doctoral program.

GRADUATE CERTIFICATE, ADVISING (G9): admitted to a graduate certificate; initial hold lifted by advisors.

CONDITIONAL ADMISSION, ADVISING (GL): conditions of admission have not been met; advisor should assess if conditions have been met and notify the Graduate School; advisors can lift this hold through TopNet, “Update Student Hold Flags.”

THESIS/DISSERTATION COMMITTEE (GK):  no committee approved after enrollment in thesis, specialist project, or dissertation courses.   

DISMISSAL (GM):  failed conditions of admission.

ACADEMIC PROBATION (GZ): below 3.0 cumulative GPA at end of term; advisors must lift the probation hold for their advisees through the “Update Student Hold Flags” on TopNet.

ACADEMIC DISMISSAL (GO): below 3.0 after probation and subsequent 9 hours; see the Graduate Catalog to review the Academic Standing Policy or contact the Graduate School for assistance.

You can access a list of your advisees through InfoView. The report is "ADV – Students Assigned to a Selected Advisor (dw)" and can be found in Public Folders/WKU Campus Community/Advisors. This report will only show you the students who are registered for the given term and assigned to the selected advisor.