WCU Graduate School

Our next application deadline is July 1! This is the final deadline for each of the following programs for a Fall 2026 start: Human Resources M.S.; Nurse Educator Certificate; Nurse Educator M.S.N.; Nurse Leadership M.S.N.; Nursing, Entry Prelicensure M.S.N.

Interested in advancing your career in Public Affairs (government, nonprofit, and public service organizations leadership preparation)? Join our Public Affairs MPA program virtually on Zoom on Tuesday, June 16 at 6 p.m. EDT to learn more about their Asheville-based program! Photos are from their most recent capstone presentation event.

Meet Dr. Luke Gillespie (who just graduated!) from the Family Nurse Practitioner D.N.P. program (based in our Asheville instructional site). Luke was one of the students who traveled with the Graduate School to Raleigh last month to participate in Graduate Education Day hosted by the North Carolina Council of Graduate Schools (NCCGS). Luke met with a number of representatives throughout the day to discuss his research "Confidence for Screening for Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) in Men,” which he also presented at RASC earlier in the Spring. Luke works full-time in healthcare in Western North Carolina, and is now a two-time alum from WCU!

Looking to spend part of your summer prepping for Graduate School applications? Or just curious about where to begin? Join our Admissions Team virtually next week on Tuesday, June 9 at Noon (12 p.m. EDT) on Zoom to learn more about the application process and boost your confidence in checking all those required materials boxes. Both of our admissions specialists, Ella and Julie, have been through their own graduate school admittance processes, and can answer questions from the perspective of an applicant as well as an Admissions Team member.

New for Fall 2026! The College of Engineering and Technology is happy to announce the launch of an in-person Master's in Engineering (M.S.E.) program located in Cullowhee, with an ABM (accelerated bachelor's to master's) pathway for WCU undergraduates. The program will help students develop technical depth across electrical, mechanical, civil, and industrial engineering. The deadline to apply for a Fall 2026 start will be August 1.

Learn more via this WCU Stories article featuring insight from the following:
• Dr. Randy Collins, Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology
• Dr. Paul Yanik, Interim Associate Dean of the WCU College of Engineering and Technology
• Dr. Jeff Lawson, Dean of the Graduate School and Research
• Dr. Yang Zhang, Graduate Program Director for both the new M.S.E. and the continuing Master's of Engineering Technology (M.S.E.T.) programs

https://www.wcu.edu/stories/posts/wcu-to-launch-new-engineering-masters-program-for-fall-2026.aspx

Will you be a continuing graduate student in the 26-27 academic year (i.e. you will have completed at least one full semester prior to August)? Do you wish you could step off the sidelines and join a team that's impacting the experience of future and current WCU graduate students? If you answered yes to both questions, apply today to be a Graduate Ambassador! The application will be open through noon on Monday, June 29th. The link to the application has been sent to your Catamount inbox, along with more details about the responsibilities and benefits.

Need some inspiration for what you might look forward to in the experience? Check out the answers our 25-26 cohort gave when asked before they joined the team how they hoped the Graduate Ambassador role would enhance their WCU experience!

This past semester, the Graduate Student Association (GSA) sponsored more than thirty travel awards for graduate students attending professional conferences and presenting their research! Awards spanned fourteen different programs, within each of our locations (Cullowhee, Asheville, Online). Enrolled students will be notified when the application for the upcoming Fall term opens for any travel taking place between June 1-December 31.

Students participated in events across North Carolina and North America, from Portland, Oregon (Biology M.S.) to San Juan, Puerto Rico (Social Work M.S.W.), from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (Project Management M.P.M.) to Atlanta, Georgia (English M.A.), from Kansas City, Missouri (Higher Education Student Affairs M.Ed.) to Honolulu, Hawaii (Middle Grades M.A.Ed.), and from Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina (Athletic Training M.S.A.T.) to Toronto, Canada (Psychology Psy.D.). Those pictured here include:

Psychology students alongside Psychology M.A. program director, Dr. Courtney Rogers, and Psychology Psy.D. program director, Dr. David Solomon, at the Southeastern Psychological Association Annual Meeting in New Orleans, Louisiana. Next slide is Psychology M.A. recent graduate Kei'Ana Mims presenting her research "Self-Diagnosis, Social Media Use, & Help-Seeking Behaviors."

Experiential Outdoor Education M.S. students at The Academy of Leisure Sciences Research and Teaching Conference in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Next slides are AJ Junttila presenting "Empathy for (Wild)Life through the Posthuman Child" and Deanna Gillian presenting "Gifted and talented math: Exploring the efficacy of an udeskole approach."

Nursing Practice D.N.P. student Zena Thompson presenting her research "Partnering for Youth Empowerment" at the Chi Eta Phi, Nursing Sorority Incorporated Boule in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Thank you to GSA for sponsoring these travel awards!

Next week is our final virtual info session of the 25-26 academic year. Join us to learn about our fully-online programs...we have more than 25 to choose from! If June 4 doesn't work for your schedule, we already have sessions scheduled for the Fall starting in August so stay tuned for those announcements! As always, you can connect with us with any questions via [email protected]

https://gradadmissions.wcu.edu/register/?id=90db4a4a-6268-447e-8165-f6b4c72c0ecd