Glossary

Glossary of Terms

• ABD – Stands for “All but Dissertation”, indicating a doctoral student has completed all their studies and is in the process of collecting and analyzing data and constructing their dissertation.
• ABD Waiver – A type of tuition waiver that may be requested after a doctoral student has completed their preliminary qualifying exams.
• Academic Load – The number of credits a student takes during a semester and/or during the academic year.
• Academic Year – The period between the start of fall semester and the end of the spring semester.
  • At WSU, these dates do not change. They are from 8/16 to 5/15.
• Appointment – The period during which a graduate student has an assistantship.
• Assistantship Advisor – The faculty member or instructor a student reports to for their assistantship. This may be their committee chair, or it may be a different person.
• Assistantship – A paid graduate student employment position.
• Associate Director of Graduate Studies – The Associate Director of Graduate Studies oversees departmental graduate studies policy updates and changes under the guidance of the department’s director and WSU Graduate School policy.
  • The Associate Director of Graduate Studies for the SOE for the 2025-2026 Academic Year is Dan Thornton.
  • The Director of the School of the Environment for the 2025-2026 Academic Year is Allyson Beall King.
• CAHNRS – Stands for the College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resources. The School of the Environment is jointly administered by CAHNRS and CAS.
• CAS – Stands for the College of Arts and Sciences. The School of the Environment is jointly administered by CAHNRS and CAS.
• Committee Chair – The main faculty member who guides graduate students through their graduate degree via coursework direction, professional training, and research mentorship.
• Committee – A group of three or more faculty members who oversee the guidance of a graduate student’s thesis or dissertation.
• CV – Stands for “Curriculum Vitae”. A CV is a brief account of a person’s education, qualifications, and previous experience. CVs do not have a length limit and focus on positions and experience relevant to academic and/or research positions.
• Defense – The oral evaluation component of a student’s written thesis or dissertation.
• Director – A faculty leadership position overseeing educational, financial, performance, and other departmental growth and evolution.
• Discipline – A specific branch of knowledge.
• Dissertation – The cumulative written document showcasing the research and results of a doctoral research project.
• Doctorate Degree – The highest earnable postgraduate degree for a student in the sciences.
• Embargo – A restriction placed on a thesis or dissertation that allows only the title, abstract, and citation information to be made public for a short period of time.
• Faculty Advisor – The faculty member overseeing the direction of a graduate student’s master’s or doctoral project. This may be a chair or a co-chair.
• FTE – Stands for “Full Time Equivalency” in reference to an appointment. E.g., 50% FTE = half time.
• Full Time Enrollment – The number of credits needed to be considered a full-time student.
  • For graduate students at WSU, Full time enrollment is 10 credits.
• Graded Credits – Credits for which a student receives a grade on the A-F scale.
• Graduate Academic Coordinator – An academic staff member whose responsibilities include guiding current graduate students on departmental and university graduate policy and promoting graduate programs.
• Half-Time Enrollment – Half time enrollment indicates an enrollment threshold under the full time minimum.
  • At WSU, half-time enrollment for graduate students is between 5-9 credits.
• IACUC – Stands for “International Animal Care and Use Committee”. All graduate students involved in animal research must have their projects approved by IACUC before carrying out research.
• Interdisciplinary – Of or relating to more than one branch of knowledge.
• IRB – Stands for “International Research Board”. Any student conducting research involving humans will need their research approved by the international research board.
• Master of Science – A postgraduate degree in science that introduces students to research and advanced literature and theory in the field.
• Master’s Degree – A postgraduate degree awarded to a student by a university
• Minimum Enrollment – Minimum enrollment indicates the minimum number of credits needed to continue membership of a degree program.
  • At WSU, minimum enrollment for graduate students is 2 credits.
• Pass/Fail Credits – Credits graded on a pass or fail basis rather than on an A-F scale
• Postdoctoral Degree – A period of research and/or training done by people who have recently finished a doctoral degree.
• Preliminary Qualifying Exam – An examination given to doctoral students, usually in their third or fourth semester, which qualifies students to continue their studies at a higher level.
• Program of Study – A document completed by all WSU graduate students outlining all courses they intend to take during their time in the program and identifying their committee members.
• ProQuest – A document management platform utilized by universities to showcase graduate student theses and dissertations.
• Research Assistantship – A paid student position for graduate students in which the student performs research-based activities for a WSU-related study, including their own.
• Research Credits – Credits graded on a pass-fail basis used to measure the output and time requirements needed for a graduate student to complete their research.
• Research Proposal – A formal report, completed in the first three semesters of a student’s study in a graduate program, outlining a student’s research plan, methodology, and the literature that has been reviewed before starting their research.
• SOE – Stands for “School of the Environment”. An interdisciplinary school managed by the College of Arts and Sciences and College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resources.
• Stipend – Pay received by an Academic Student Employee in return for the work done in their assistantship appointment.
• Teaching Assistantship – A paid student position for graduate students in which the student performs teaching-based activities for WSU courses, typically in their own departments.
• Thesis – The cumulative document showcasing the research and results of a master’s research project.