Graduate College

Norman Campus
731 Elm Avenue
Norman, OK 73019-2115
Phone: (405) 325-3811
FAX: (405) 325-5346
TDD: (405) 325-6914
e-mail: gradinfo@ou.edu
Internet: http://gradweb.ou.edu

Tulsa Campus
4502 E. 41st St.
Tulsa, OK 74135
Phone: (918) 660-3660
Internet: http://tulsagrad.ou.edu

The goals of the Graduate College mission are to provide leadership and service and to enhance the quality of graduate education and research/creative activity.

Great Reading Room in Bizzell library

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General Information 

Administrative Officers 

T.H. Lee Williams, Ph.D., Vice President for Research and Dean of the Graduate College 

William O. Ray, Ph.D., Dean of the Graduate College in Tulsa 

Janis M. Paul, Ph.D., Assistant Dean and Director of the English Assessment Program 

The Graduate College is the center of advanced study, research, and creative activity at the university. 

In the past three decades, the Graduate College has greatly expanded its degree program offerings and student enrollment. In addition to the Doctor of Philosophy, the university offers the Executive Doctor of Education, Doctor of Engineering and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees. Interdisciplinary degree programs are available at both the master’s and doctoral levels. The OU Health Sciences Center also offers graduate degrees at the master’s and doctoral levels. 

AUTHORITY AND RESPONSIBILITY OF THE GRADUATE COLLEGE 

The goals of the Graduate College are to provide leadership and service and to enhance the quality of graduate education and research/creative activity. The Graduate Council and the Dean of the Graduate College will supervise and evaluate those divisions of the university that offer the master’s and doctoral degrees and will use adequate means to ensure quality, observance of policy, and academic excellence. 

The Graduate College strives to develop in each student a firm grasp of a chosen field, the skills and methods of research, and the capacity for independent thought. The Graduate College will carefully monitor the performance of all graduate students. Final determination of a student's graduate status, from admission through graduation, rests with the Graduate Dean. 

Faculty and students share an obligation to master the knowledge of their chosen fields, to add to that knowledge and to present it to the scholarly community. The Graduate Faculty has responsibility for instruction, for the guidance of graduate students in the development of their programs and for pursuing investigations associated with a particular field or discipline. Graduate students are expected to demonstrate initiative and assume responsibility for the progress of their studies. Students must master a body of knowledge, and class work merely provides the foundation for wider personal inquiry. A graduate degree is conferred for mastery of a field and thorough understanding of its related branches. 

Graduate Programs for Academic Excellence 

Private donations have enabled the Graduate College to provide fellowships and scholarships in designated areas. Among these are the Kenneth L. Hoving Fellowship, Hudson Fellowship, McNair Graduate Fellowship, National Science Foundation Fellows, OU Graduate Alumni Fellowship, Mr. and Mrs. W. O. Wethington Scholarship and Fellowship, and Graduate Foundation Fellowships for outstanding graduate students. 

Dissertation Awards and Graduate Teaching Awards are given annually to reward excellence in dissertation research and teaching, respectively. The awards include a certificate and a cash prize. 

The Graduate College and the Graduate Student Senate sponsor an annual event wherein which graduate students display posters describing current research projects. Cash prizes and certificates are awarded for winning posters. 

For more information on these programs and others that may be available, please contact the Graduate College, Robertson Hall, 731 Elm Ave., Room 100, Norman, OK 73019-4075, (405) 325-3811 or visit our Web site at http://gradweb.ou.edu. 

Research Programs 

Research is an increasingly critical dimension of the mission of the University of Oklahoma. It is vital to the growth, health, and progress of the state of Oklahoma, the region, and the nation. In fiscal year 2008 approximately 621 grants and contracts were awarded totaling in excess of $84 million. 

Participation in research and creative activity projects is fundamental to a graduate student’s training and development. Various projects that support graduate students are conducted in all graduate programs offered at the university. Information about current research projects is available from each academic department. 

Graduate students are encouraged to contact the graduate liaison in their academic unit for information on research projects that will match their studies and for opportunities to join these research teams. 

Use of Human Subjects in Research 

All research involving human subjects or the use of data generated via human subjects research, which will result in publication or presentation, must be reviewed and approved by the University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus Institutional Review Board (OU-NC IRB) prior to subject recruitment and data collection. All human subjects research to be performed by faculty, staff or students of the University of Oklahoma Norman campus, Tulsa campus, or conducted by Cameron University faculty, staff or students must be reviewed by the OU-NC IRB. The primary role of the OU-NC IRB is to determine if the rights and welfare of human subjects who volunteer to participate in research studies are adequately protected and to ensure that adequate informed consent procedures are used. The University of Oklahoma Norman campus policy for the protection of human subjects in research activities and IRB application materials can be accessed at the following: http://www.ouhsc.edu/irb-norman/. 

If you have questions about compliance or the IRB approval process, you may contact the Office of Human Research Participant Protection at (405) 325-8110 or e-mail irb@ou.edu. 

Use of Vertebrate Animals in Research 

All research performed on live vertebrate animals or teaching that uses live vertebrates must be described for review and approval by the University of Oklahoma - Norman Campus, Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (OU-NC IACUC) prior to obtaining animals and data collection. The primary role of the IACUC is to assure compliance with the U.S. Animal Welfare Act and Amendments and to assure that animals receive humane care during procedures in accordance with federal regulations of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare of the Public Health Service (OLAW/PHS). 

Information on the OU-NC IACUC can be found on the web site http://iacuc.ou.edu/. If you have questions on the IACUC review process, you may contact the Office of Laboratory Animal Resources (405) 325-2609 or visit the web site http://iacuc.ou.edu. 

Patent Policy 

The University Intellectual Property Policy provides that all discoveries and/or inventions, patentable or unpatentable, that are made or conceived of while the inventor is a student at the university with substantial use of university facilities not normally made available to students or are made with funds provided by or through the university, are the property of the university. This policy provides protection to both the university and the inventor and offers substantial benefits to the inventor. Copies of the Intellectual Property Policy may be obtained from the Office of Technology Development, 201 Evans Hall, (405) 325-3800, or viewed online at www.otd.ou.edu. Students who made an invention or discovery under the stated conditions should contact the Office of Technology Development as soon as possible (201 Evans Hall, (405) 325-3800). 

Travel for Academic Purposes 

Any University of Oklahoma graduate student traveling outside the United States for academic purposes is required to notify the Graduate College about the travel. This requirement includes individuals, groups, and members of faculty-supervised trips. 

When a graduate student intends to travel to a country for which there is a State Department Warning (http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/tw/tw_1764.html), the student is required to meet with the Dean of the Graduate College before the trip to discuss the circumstances of the trip and to sign a statement releasing the University from liability. 

The Graduate College will forward the information to the Assistant Director for Study Abroad in the Education Abroad and International Student Services Office. To notify the Graduate College, please complete the Graduate Student International Travel Notification Form (http://gradweb.ou.edu/Current/NewPolicies/InternationalTravelNotificationForm.doc) and, if the travel is to a country for which there is a State Department warning, you must also complete the Acknowledgment, Assumption of Risk, and Release Form (http://gradweb.ou.edu/Current/NewPolicies/AcknowledgmentAssumptionOfRisk,Release.pdf). 

Graduate Assistant Integrity 

Graduate assistants make a vital contribution to the University at every level. As teaching and research assistants, they carry on the highest levels of intellectual inquiry; as professionals in training, they connect the University to the community and the world. In these roles, graduate assistants represent not only the student body, but the University as whole. Therefore, the University expects graduate assistants to conduct themselves with the highest standards of judgment and behavior in every area. 

As instructors, graduate assistants adhere to all University policies concerning instruction. They demonstrate respect for students as individuals and adhere to their proper roles as intellectual guides and counselors. They make every reasonable effort to foster honest academic conduct and to ensure that their evaluations of students reflect each student's true merit. They respect the confidential nature of the relationship between instructor and student. They avoid any exploitation, harassment, or discriminatory treatment of students. Graduate assistants will not receive payment from students for tutoring or help sessions in any course in which they are currently assigned as an instructor, and they will accept the judgment of their department as to other limitations on such activities. 

As researchers, graduate assistants have a responsibility to ensure the integrity and ethical standards in any research activity in which they are engaged. Graduate assistants will not engage in research misconduct and will notify a responsible party if they become aware of research misconduct by others. 

As professionals in training, graduate assistants have a professional obligation to their colleagues and to the University. They show due respect and civility to their associates. They understand that any other employment or enterprise in which they engage for income is secondary to their University duties, and they accept the judgment of their department regarding conflicts of interest, either real or apparent, that may be caused by such outside activities.

Graduate Degrees Offered

General requirements that apply to all of these degrees appear later in this bulletin. Information about individual degrees is available from the Graduate College or from the individual academic unit. 

Master’s Degrees and Programs of Study 

MASTER OF ARTS 

Norman Campus 

Tulsa Campus 

MASTER OF SCIENCE 

MASTER OF SPECIALTY 

This degree is determined by the program of study. The degree is conferred upon students whose major work is completed in one of the following areas. All degree requirements are available from the Graduate College or from the individual academic unit. 

Norman Campus 

Tulsa Campus 

ACCELERATED DUAL DEGREE PROGRAMS 

The Accelerated Dual Degree program was established in 1994 to provide highly motivated and academically outstanding students with the opportunity to complete an undergraduate and graduate degree in an accelerated fashion. Currently, the University offers accelerated undergraduate/graduate degrees in the areas listed below. Admission into these programs is granted by the Academic unit and the Graduate College. For additional information, please contact the appropriate department. 

DUAL MASTER’S DEGREES 

Dual Degree Master’s programs allow students to pursue degrees simultaneously in two fields of study. To obtain a dual degree, the student must satisfy the admission, course, and examination requirements of both programs. 

Requirements 

1. The student must be admitted to both programs before 12 credit hours of graduate coursework have been completed. 

2. If changing from a single graduate degree program to a dual degree program, the 12 hours may be applied to one of the degrees if approved by both academic departments and the Graduate College dean. If changing from a non-degree seeking status to a dual degree program, this coursework will be subject to the guidelines regarding coursework taken prior to admission to a graduate degree program. 

3. All deficiencies must completed and all degree requirements, including research tools, foreign languages, comprehensive examination, and thesis, must be met for both programs. 

4. Up to 20 percent of the total graduate credit hours required for both degrees taken individually may be double-counted, e.g., counted as credit for both master's programs. 

5. The double-counted courses must be appropriate for each degree. 

6. No more than one-half of the credits for coursework in each degree program, excluding research for the thesis (5980), may be S/U graded coursework; and no more than one-half of the overall coursework, excluding research for the thesis (5980), may be S/U graded coursework. 

7. The student must graduate with both degrees in the same semester. 

Dual Master’s Degrees 

INTERDISCIPLINARY MASTER’S DEGREES 

The Interdisciplinary Master’s Degree (formerly Special Master’s Degree) is for those students whose educational goals cannot be met by one of the existing master’s degrees offered. The various components of an interdisciplinary master’s degree must be integrated so the program presents a well-defined and coherent education experience. The integration can most appropriately be accomplished through research that culminates in a thesis. 

Requirements 

1. An applicant for an Interdisciplinary Master’s Degree must be a graduate student in full standing in the Graduate College at the time of the application. 

2. A thesis is required for all Interdisciplinary Master’s Degrees. 

Request Procedure 

To have a program considered for an Interdisciplinary Master’s Degree by the Graduate Council, a student must submit a completed Interdisciplinary Master’s Degree Application, along with the additional information requested on the first page of the application to the Graduate Dean before 12 hours of the proposed program have been completed. If changing from an existing graduate degree program to an interdisciplinary master’s program, the 12 hours may be applied to the degree if approved by the academic department and the Graduate College dean. If changing from a non-degree seeking status to an interdisciplinary master’s program, this coursework will be subject to the guidelines regarding coursework taken prior to admission to a graduate degree program. 

GRADUATE CERTIFICATES 

Norman Campus 

Tulsa Campus 

Doctoral Degrees and Programs of Study 

DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY 

Norman Campus 

Tulsa Campus 

DOCTOR OF SPECIALTY 

Norman Campus 

Tulsa Campus 

Interdisciplinary Doctoral Program 

Valuable academic pursuits may involve areas of educational preparation and research that transcend a single field. In such a situation, the interdisciplinary doctoral degree allows a student to draw from more than one relevant discipline to design an individual degree program. An interdisciplinary doctoral degree must maintain the same high standards and academic rigor as regular graduate degrees. Furthermore, the degree must demonstrably fall outside the purview of established programs that require some interdepartmental or intercollegiate coursework. Authority for overseeing interdisciplinary doctoral degrees is vested with the Graduate Council. 

Requirements: 

Request Procedure 

To be admitted into an interdisciplinary program or approved for an interdisciplinary degree, the candidate must petition the Graduate Dean by submitting a completed Interdisciplinary Ph.D. Program Application. The application will contain: 

The petition must: 

Graduate Certificates

A graduate certificate represents completion of a set of courses that provides mastery of a specific area of knowledge. A graduate certificate indicates an advanced, focused inquiry into a defined area of study and the certificate provides a record on the student’s transcript. For a degree student, a graduate certificate may indicate an area of specialization; for a professional, a graduate certificate may provide evidence of special expertise.

The distinction between a Graduate Certificate and a Graduate Degree: 

Guidelines for Graduate Certificates 

Transfer Credit applied toward the Graduate Certificate 

The acceptance of transfer credit toward a graduate certificate program is determined in accordance with the following criteria: 

Course Age Limits 

Completion of a Graduate Certificate 

Time Limits for Completion of the Graduate Certificate Program 

Graduate College policy states that a student enrolled in a graduate certificate program will normally complete all of the requirements within five calendar years of graduate enrollment at the University of Oklahoma. Academic units may set shorter time limits; however, no department may set a longer period than that established by the Graduate College. 

Extensions 

For students enrolled in a graduate certificate program, if additional time is necessary to complete the graduate certificate program, the department chair and graduate liaison should petition the Graduate College dean for an extension. Students enrolled in a graduate degree program, if additional time is necessary to complete the graduate certificate requirements, the student’s committee chair and graduate liaison should petition the Graduate College dean for an extension. 

Extensions may be granted for a variety of reasons that may include, but are not limited to, job relocation, military duty, pregnancy, illness, a serious accident, divorce, or other personal issues within the student’s immediate family. The extension may be granted, granted with qualification, or denied. An extension of time for completion of graduate certificate requirements does not affect the limitations of the number of allowed overage credit as outlined above. Extensions exceeding one year may require the academic unit to certify that the student’s knowledge is current and appropriate to the graduate certificate at the time it is awarded. 

Use of Graduate Certificate Coursework toward a Graduate Degree 

For students enrolled in a graduate degree program, credit hours earned toward a graduate certificate are not considered to be transfer credit. Credit hours earned toward a graduate certificate may be eligible to be applied to a graduate degree program. 

Students intending to apply graduate certificate credit to a master’s degree program at OU should be aware that no more than 25 percent of the minimum number of credit hours required for a master’s degree may be taken prior to admission to the graduate degree program. Students intending to apply graduate certificate credit into a doctoral degree program at OU should be aware that no more than 44 of the credit hours required for the doctoral degree may be coursework taken prior to the doctoral program or transfer credit. 

More information about transfer credit is available in the master’s degree guidelines section and the doctoral degree guidelines section. 

June 2009