Graduate Catalog

General Information - West Virginia University

West Virginia University (WVU) was founded in 1867 as a result of the 1862 Land-Grant Act, otherwise known as the Morrill Act. As the state’s flagship, land-grant university, WVU’s mission reflects its dedication to serving the state and citizens of West Virginia through access to higher education, research and scholarship, and comprehensive health sciences. The WVU system includes the flagship campus in Morgantown, WVU Institute of Technology in Beckley, WVU Potomac State in Keyser, and several other locations across the state serving health science programs. The West Virginia University Robert C. Byrd Health Sciences Center has five schools serving undergraduate, graduate, and professional students at four locations in Morgantown, Charleston, Bridgeport and Martinsburg.

West Virginia University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. Many WVU programs hold specialized accreditation.

WVU Morgantown provides programs of instruction through 11 colleges and schools and offers over 300 majors at the baccalaureate, master’s, doctoral, and professional levels, as well as numerous certificate programs, both in-person and online.

WVU Morgantown facilities are built on more than 1,000 acres and include several buildings on the National Register of Historic Places.

WVU Potomac State College, situated in West Virginia’s Eastern Panhandle in Keyser, offers associate and baccalaureate degree programs and serves both residential and commuting students. WVU Institute of Technology is located in Beckley, and serves the region and the state by offering technology-intensive baccalaureate degree programs.

The WVU Extension Service has offices in all of West Virginia’s 55 counties, staffed by county agents. WVU operates experimental farms and forests throughout the state, as well as WVU Jackson's Mill, near Weston, WV, home of West Virginia 4-H camping and the West Virginia Fire Academy.

Visit About WVU for updated WVU facts and achievements.

In this section:

• WVU Mission
• WVU Vision
• WVU Values
• Commitment to Campus Engagement and Compliance
• West Virginia University Center for Excellence in Disabilities
• Office of Student Accommodations

WVU Mission

As a land-grant institution, the faculty, staff and students at West Virginia University commit to creating a diverse and inclusive culture that advances education, healthcare and prosperity for all by providing access and opportunity; by advancing high-impact research; and by leading transformation in West Virginia and the world through local, state and global engagement.

WVU Vision

As One West Virginia University, we are purposeful in our studies and our work so that we can partner with our communities-both near and far-to bring needed and valued solutions to real-life problems within the pillars of education, healthcare and prosperity.

WVU Values

Service: We seek opportunities to serve others and are committed to providing the highest quality of service.

Curiosity: We ask questions, seek new opportunities, and change through innovation.

Respect: We are respectful, transparent and inclusive with each other.

Accountability: We perform at our very best every day to create a University that is responsive, efficient and effective.

Appreciation: We support and value each other’s contributions as we build a community that is One WVU.

Research and Scholarship

As West Virginia’s flagship research institution, WVU undertakes scholarly activity to improve the lives of West Virginians and others across the globe. WVU is classified as a Doctoral University-Highest Research Activity (R1) in the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education.

Service

West Virginia University’s land-grant mission underscores its obligation to serve the public and the state of West Virginia by promoting economic development, enhancing the well-being and the quality of life of the people of West Virginia, and increasing opportunities for the citizens of the state through workforce education, lifelong learning, and outreach to every county.

West Virginia University is the only institution in West Virginia to earn the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching “Community Engagement Classification.”

WVU’s dedication to its service mission is manifested through its instructional programs, educational outreach, and initiatives and centers that engage external constituencies and support public service.

WVU Extension Service

The Smith-Lever Act of 1914 created a Cooperative Extension Service for each land-grant institution. The purpose of the Extension Service was to disseminate the findings of the universities’ agricultural stations and provide training and programs on home economics and other practical subjects. WVU has sustained its commitment to the state by supporting an Extension Service office with a presence in all of West Virginia’s 55 counties, staffed by county agents.

The educational programs and initiatives of the WVU Extension Service focus on service to the state and exemplify West Virginia University’s commitment to the public good by connecting the knowledge and research of WVU with citizen and community needs. The Extension Service’s programs are driven by four major initiatives: (1) 4-H youth development; (2) family and health; (3) agriculture and natural resource education; and (4) community, workforce, and economic development.

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Commitment to Campus Engagement and Compliance

West Virginia University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ancestry, age, physical or mental disability, marital or family status, pregnancy, veteran status, service in the uniformed services (as defined in state and federal law), religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, genetic information, gender identity, or gender expression in the administration of any of its educational programs, activities, or with respect to admission or employment.

In keeping with this commitment, members of the academic community are expected to demonstrate civility and mutual respect for all persons as well as understanding and appreciation for all persons, to express that perspective in every dimension of the institution’s life and mission, and to work cooperatively, representing not only the interests of their own groups but also those of the wider community.

Individuals believing they may have been illegally discriminated against by any member of the university community at West Virginia University may file a complaint with the Office of Compliance and Prevention Education. 

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Center for Excellence in Disabilities

The WVU CED is available for students, staff, and faculty. The federally funded center supports a 80+ team of specialists who provide services for individuals with disabilities of all ages. Clinics and community programming is available throughout the state to address needs related to all disabilities - acute, acquired, or chronic in nature. The center is also the home of the WV assistive technology (AT) program, Country Roads program, and family support program (F2F). These and other services provide support for the classroom, community living, and the workplace. Additional training opportunities are available for students. Students of all disciplines can work in multidisciplinary groups to provide clinical and community services at the center and throughout the state. Trainings and innovative research initiatives also incorporate disability services and awareness and support the Department of Disability Services undergraduate minor and graduate certificate courses (DISB) and micro-credentials/badges. 

WVU CED is recognized, and trusted, as a leader and innovative agent in a statewide network of individual and community supports that promote respect, inclusiveness, interdependence, and access for everyone.

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Office of Student Accommodations

The Office of Student Accommodations (OSA) is dedicated to enhancing educational opportunities and providing equal access for students with permanent and temporary disabilities at West Virginia University and all of its campuses. We provide a range of services and authorize accommodations that  lead to academic and personal achievement.

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Commitment to Assessment

West Virginia University conducts comprehensive and systematic assessment of student learning across all locations and delivery methods. Continuous improvement of student learning is faculty-driven (authentic and embedded), conducted at the course, program, and institutional levels, and grounded in the work of the colleges and individual academic programs, the Provost's Office, the Undergraduate Council, and the Graduate Council.

The Provost's Office collaborates with the Faculty Senate's Curriculum Committee to ensure quality and rigor of academic programs and courses, the Teaching and Assessment Committee to ensure quality and rigor across sections of courses regardless of modality of delivery or location, and the General Education Foundations Committee to oversee all aspects of the general education program. The Provost's Office works to strengthen the effectiveness of assessment across all programs by:

• Overseeing, reviewing, and approving program creation and review policies, process and governance.
• Serving as an institutional-level resource for curricular design, program evaluation, and assessment of learning best practices.
• Facilitating faculty professional development in curricular design, program evaluation, and assessment of learning.
• Providing consulting to departments to enhance their program improvement based upon assessment planning and reporting.
• Compiling supporting documentation and evidence of the assessment work at WVU in support of institutional accreditation.