A “stacked degree” is a graduate program that includes as part of its degree requirements one or more earned graduate certificates. The intent of a stacked degree should be to provide for flexible entry to graduate education for students who would benefit from a graduate certificate credential and who may or may not ultimately pursue a graduate degree. Stackable graduate certificates may be earned independently from a degree or may be combined to apply towards degree requirements as described in the following policy. Master’s degree programs and practice doctorate degree programs may incorporate stackable graduate certificates. Stacked degrees and the graduate certificates they are comprised of will appear as credentials on the student transcript.
Review and approval of a stacked degree is managed as part of the degree program approval or program change process overseen by the Graduate School. Stacked degrees and the graduate certificates they are comprised of must have clear academic oversight by the graduate faculty of the proposing unit, as well as clear administrative support. This must be articulated as part of the program proposal process.
1.4.1 Stacked Graduate Degree Program Requirements
1.4.1.1 Alignment with degree and certificate requirements
- The combination of certificates that comprise the degree must ensure that students meet coursework/credit requirements (e.g., course levels, minimum credits, minimum graded credit) described in Policy 1.1 for each degree type.
- All graduate certificates must follow the policies outlined in Policy 1.2.
- Students who are admitted to the University of Washington through a graduate certificate are matriculated graduate students and must meet the admission standards described in Policy 3.1.
1.4.1.2 Curricular coherence
- The title of a stacked graduate degree must clearly reflect the academic focus of the degree program.
- Per Policy 1.2, each certificate must include a culminating experience. In addition, a stacked graduate degree program must include a degree-level capstone or culminating experience.
- Stacked degree program proposals that allow students to complete different combinations of graduate certificates to earn the same credential must establish how the program will ensure consistent learning outcomes and/or competencies for all students and result in a coherent body of study.
- The certificates that can apply toward a stacked degree must be established in the program proposal. The addition of certificate options to stacked degree program requires a program change proposal.
1.4.1.3 Coursework that may be applied towards stacked degree requirements
- If applying GNM or transfer credits towards a graduate certificate that is part of a stacked degree, no more than 6 applicable GNM or transfer credits may be applied to each individual graduate certificate that is part of the stacked degree and no more than 12 applicable GNM or transfer credits may be applied to the stacked degree total.
1.4.2 Continuous enrollment and time to completion
- The Graduate School does not mandate continuous enrollment for stacked credentials. Re-entry policy is described in SGP 102.7.F
- Time to degree completion requirements will be made at the program level and described in the program proposal and student handbook. In the absence of program level policy, the time period to complete the degree will align with those described in Policy 1.1 for each degree type.
- Program guidelines and/or student handbooks must address:
- Program expectations regarding performance and progress requirements.
- Key academic milestones and expected timelines, as defined by the program.
- Time limits for specific coursework or certificates to apply towards degree requirements, considering that some content may become outdated if time to completion requirements are especially long.
Policy 1.4 created: July 2022; revised: December 2022; April 2024; January 2025; March 2025