Majors, Minors and Certificates

The Department of Biology offers graduate courses and research that lead to MS and PhD degrees in the areas of ecology, bioinformatics, genetics, genomics and evolutionary biology, biochemistry and molecular biology, neurobiology, behavior and physiology, plant sciences, cell and developmental biology, biology education and forensic biology.

The Department of Biology offers graduate courses and research that lead to MS and PhD degrees in the areas of ecology, bioinformatics, genetics, genomics and evolutionary biology, biochemistry and molecular biology, neurobiology, behavior and physiology, plant sciences, cell and developmental biology, biology education and forensic biology.

The Chemistry Department includes research in the areas of analytical, inorganic, organic and physical chemistry. Research is a key focus of the 22 faculty members who comprise the department.

The PhD program in Communication Studies is intended to qualify the student to teach and conduct research in instructional communication, interpersonal communication or organizational communication at the university level.

The MA program in Communication Studies is intended to qualify the student to assume a variety of professional roles in educational, industrial and government institutions; teach the subject matter at the college level; or undertake advanced training toward a doctorate in communication studies.

The Master of Fine Arts is the terminal degree in creative writing. MFA students at WVU study within a three-year academic/studio program that combines an apprenticeship to the craft with more traditionally academic elements.

The master’s program is designed for students who have shown an aptitude for sustained literary study and who now wish to pursue a more intensive and extensive training.

The doctoral program in English develops fluency in the critical discourses of the profession and prepares graduates to teach English professionally on the post-secondary level, or to enter a wide range of alternate academic careers.

The Department of Forensic and Investigative Sciences offers graduate studies leading to a Master of Science degree. The Forensic Science Education Programs Accreditation Commission (FEPAC) accredited degree program is rigorous, quantitative and science-based.

The doctorate is a research degree that culminates in a dissertation in an area that is jointly determined between a student and their faculty advisor. Each student takes three core courses and two colloquia as the academic foundation for developing their area of research.

Our Master of Arts in Geography provides students with cutting-edge training in the history and theory of geography, experience with advanced geographic research methodologies and specialized mentoring from faculty experts across the subdisciplinary fields of human geography, environmental geography and geographic information science.

The PhD is an advanced research degree, with coursework, comprehensive exams and a major research investigation. Students are expected to be well-grounded in the one or more of the Geography program's three areas of specialization.

Geology is a dynamic field of natural science that aims to understand how the Earth works and provide solutions to pressing global challenges such as global climate change, evolving demands for energy and water, and environmental issues.

WVU Geology offers both research Master’s and Doctoral degrees as well as a rigorous Master’s professional studies degree. Our graduate program comprises core geology faculty with expertise in the interdisciplinary subfields including:

The graduate history program has a long and distinguished record, dating back nearly a century. Early on, the Department of History established a reputation for diplomatic history, and later, West Virginian and Appalachian history. Today, the West Virginia and Regional History Collection is one of the strongest of its kind, housing primary source materials for political, economic, social, cultural and technological history of the state and region.

The graduate History program at WVU includes about 80-90 students and 23 faculty. Most students concentrate in U.S. history or Appalachian history, but students may choose to work in other areas supported by the faculty, especially European, African and Latin American history.

The Master of Legal Studies program (part of the Division of Public Administration) is designed to build greater public understanding of law and the legal system, to provide graduates with the ability to apply knowledge and skill gained to performing their jobs more effectively and/or pursue further career opportunities and to provide private and public sector organizations the benefit of enhanced expertise of their employees.

Tailor this major to your interests by taking courses in one of these areas:

• Healthcare
• Homeland Security
• Justice System

The M.A. program in Linguistics includes 30 hours of core and elective courses and is designed to provide students with a well-rounded perspective on the field. Students also have the opportunity to engage in research projects that reflect their interests within a given subject and that serve to complement and augment the information imparted through in-class activities. The program may be completed either by taking comprehensive exams, or by writing and defending a Master's thesis. The program is intended both for students seeking preparation for doctoral studies in linguistics or a related field, as well as for those seeking a terminal professional degree with a goal of pursuing careers in language related fields.

The master's degree program offers specializations in pure and applied mathematics, each with different requirements. The master's degree programs are designed either for students who intend to go on to pursue a PhD in Mathematics, or for those planning to seek employment in education, government or industry.

The Department of Mathematics offers graduate programs leading to the Master of Science (M.S.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees. The Ph.D. program provides for a common core of fundamental mathematics followed by specialized studies culminating in an original research dissertation directed by a faculty advisor. Depending on the student's program and interests, there are diverse career opportunities available in education, government, and industry.

The Department of Physics and Astronomy offers a solid foundation in the fundamentals as well as a diverse range of specializations for MS and PhD research.

The Department of Physics and Astronomy offers a solid foundation in the fundamentals as well as a diverse range of specializations for MS and PhD research.

Political science is built on the core aspects of the great liberal arts tradition. Our strengths are logic, appropriate data, analysis and communication.

Political Science is built on the core aspects of the great liberal arts tradition. Our strengths are logic, appropriate data, analysis and communication.

The MA in Professional Writing and Editing is a 30-hour degree that combines theories of writing with practice in real-world writing situations.

The Psychology Department offers doctoral training in clinical child psychology, clinical psychology, behavior analysis, behavioral neuroscience and lifespan developmental psychology.

The behavioral neuroscience area of emphasis is the newest and fastest growing area in the Department of Psychology. Students in behavioral neuroscience work closely with highly experienced faculty to study the biological bases of behavior. Training in behavioral neuroscience prepares students for a career in research in academics, academic medicine, government and/or industry. We expect our graduates to succeed in research, with an emphasis on publishing and obtaining extramural funding to support their work. We also foster strong mentorship skills, so that our students are prepared to teach their skills and way of thinking to their own students upon completion of our program. Our graduates make significant contributions to solving important problems in their field.

The Clinical and Clinical Child Psychology areas of emphasis jointly comprise West Virginia University’s accredited doctoral training program in Health Service (Clinical) Psychology. It has been accredited continuously by the American Psychological Association since 1966. In 2020, the program was re-accredited for ten years, with the next site visit scheduled to occur in 2030.

The Ph.D. in developmental psychology combines breadth of training in perspectives on normal development across the life span with depth and rigor of training in an area of specialization selected by the student. The program produces disciplined researchers who are also skilled classroom instructors. Students are funded via teaching and research assistantships.

The Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree prepares individuals for a career in public service. Alumni work in government and nonprofit agencies to develop and implement public policies and programs.

The public history program trains historians who work in the public sector by grounding them in traditional research methodology learned in seminars and through public history courses designed to give students practical experience conducting client-based research. The work of public historians often requires a distinct set of research skills that moves beyond traditional archival research and historiographical argumentation. All students in public history learn to incorporate visual and material culture into historical narratives, use place as the center of historical analysis, and develop written and digital narratives that convey historical complexity that can engage public audiences.

Social work is a valuable profession with broad opportunities to serve local, national and international populations. The MSW program at WVU educates graduate students in advanced integrated practice with individuals, families, groups, and communities so that they can effectively address social and human problems across a wide range of practice areas.

Social work is a valuable profession with broad opportunities to serve local, national and international populations. The MSW program at WVU educates graduate students in advanced integrated practice with individuals, families, groups, and communities so that they can effectively address social and human problems across a wide range of practice areas.

The WVU PhD program in Social Work will prepare students with the skills needed to excel in research, teaching, and leadership. The theme of the program, community-focused research, reflects the mission of WVU as a R1 land-grant institution to advance education, healthcare, and prosperity for all by intentionally promoting research that has significant impact on people’s lives. The PhD program is a full-time program with a hybrid course plan that allows flexibility to complete latter portions of the program remotely. It is designed to purposefully prepare students for dissertation research.

This is the first doctoral sociology program in the state of West Virginia. It emphasizes foundational course work in sociology, including theory, methods and statistics, as well as courses and independent research in an area related to the department’s specializations in crime, community and culture.

The M.A. program in TESOL prepares teachers to teach English as a second language in an English-speaking setting as well as English as a foreign language in countries around the world. The program includes 30 hours of coursework focusing on language, linguistics, literature and culture in conjunction with different aspects of teaching English, while balancing both the theoretical and practical aspects of TESOL.