Graduate Resources

Welcome to Webster University!

Pursuing a graduate degree is an exciting time in your professional journey as you clarify your academic and career goals. Your advisor can be your academic partner during this time and serve as a resource and guide.

Upon acceptance to most university graduate programs, students should schedule an appointment with their academic advisor to discuss academic plans and to get registered. Students are encouraged to maintain consistent contact with their academic advisor throughout their academic career, though you maintain responsibility for keeping apprised of current graduation requirements for your chosen program. To schedule an appointment, call 314-968-6972 or 800-982-3847.

Academic advisor and student reviewing classes on computer.

Schedule Your Appointment

Academic advisor and student reviewing classes on computer.

Academic advisors meet with students in person or virtually. To schedule an appointment, call 314-968-6972 or 800-982-3847. Advisors are available Monday-Friday, typically between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. If because of a time difference, you need an early morning or evening appointment, let us know and we will try to accommodate your request. The Academic Advising Center on the main campus in Webster Groves is located on the first floor, same level as the Garden Park Plaza parking garage, between Public Safety and the Bookstore, at 568 Garden Ave.

Students New to Webster

Please call the Advising Center 314-968-6972 or 800-982-3847) to schedule your New Student Advising appointment. We ask that you not schedule online via Starfish (the Student Success Portal) as that option is reserved for current students only.

Current or Returning Students

Please call the Advising Center at 314-968-6972 or 800-982-3847) to schedule an advising appointment or log in to Starfish to schedule an advising appointment with your assigned advisor.

Student Checklist

As a newly admitted Webster University graduate student, please take the following steps:

Academic advisor meeting with student.

Graduate Advising Team

Academic advisor meeting with student.

Our Graduate Advising Team advises students in programs from the Walker School of Business & Technology, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, College of Science and Health and School of Communications.

Students in specialized programs, such as Counseling, Nursing or Nurse Anesthesia, programs in the School of Education, programs in the College of Fine Arts or doctoral programs, should contact their program directly.

Degree and Graduation Planning

During your first advising appointment, your advisor will provide you with your Degree Plan. Please use this reference tool in conjunction with your Degree Audit in Connections to monitor your progress. Most graduate programs are 36+ credits. Depending on how many terms a student pursues per year will dictate time to graduation. Students are encouraged to consider their anticipated graduation date upon entry into their program. For example, a student in a 36+ hour program, going part-time, should plan on the program taking between 2.5 and 3 years. Proper course sequencing and meeting course prerequisites is an important factor in maintaining progression through the chosen program.

Additional Student Resources

Registration usually opens in March for the Summer term, April for the Fall terms, and October for the Spring terms. Pending availability of the course, students can typically add a course until the first course meeting.

Students can drop a course with 100% refund through the Friday of week 1. Weeks 2-6 are the withdrawal period. Students will receive a 75% refund is withdrawn by the Friday of week 2, 50% refund if withdrawn by the Friday of week 3, and a 25% refund if withdrawn by the Friday of week 4. There are no refunds awarded starting week 5 of the term. Withdraw requests must be processed by the Friday of week 6.

  Date 8- or 9-Week Class
Drop: Week 1 100%
Withdrawal: Week 2 75%
  Week 3 50%
  Week 4 25%

*Some states may have a modified refund schedule for on-campus students.

Please contact an academic advisor about what courses can count as an elective or course substitution, as available options may differ depending on the academic program.

  • Part-Time: 3 credits per 8- or 9-week term
  • Full-Time: 6 credits per 8- or 9-week term

All students must complete a petition to graduate. Students enrolling in their final course should fill out the petition at the time of enrollment.

Prior to filling out the petition to graduate:

  1. Examine your academic record.
  2. Are all anticipated waivers and transfer credit accurately represented?
  3. Does your degree audit accurately reflect the degrees and/or certificates that you are pursuing?
  4. Have all incomplete or in progress grades on your academic record been resolved?
  5. Is your name and address correct in your biographical information?
  6. Have you resolved any holds on your account to assure final delivery of your transcript and diploma?

Graduate Petition to Graduate

As a graduate student, you can register online after you complete your first term at Webster. Fully admitted students in good academic standing may register for a maximum of two courses (6 credits) per 9-week term.

To register for classes:

  1. Use the degree plan provided in your initial academic advising session, or review your degree requirements in the Graduate Studies Catalog.
  2. Use the online course schedule to view available courses.
  3. Ensure that you have no active holds on your student account.
  4. Register online via Connections.

If your acceptance letter indicates that you are accepted under special status, please remember that you are limited to one course per term until you complete the first four core courses in your program. If you need help registering, contact your primary campus (or the Academic Advising Center if you live in the St. Louis metro area).

Most graduate programs have a 5000-level introduction course (requisite course) that must be completed before students can enroll in other required courses in their degree program. If students have a significant undergraduate academic background in the same area as their graduate major, they may speak to an academic advisor about requesting a requisite course waiver. If the requisite course is waived, the student must take an elective course in its place. Requisite course waivers do not reduce the number of total credits hours required for the degree.

Students who are returning after a break in enrollment should set up an appointment to speak to their advisor. Students returning from a break in enrollment of more than one academic year will enroll under the current catalog requirements. If your program has changed since your previous enrollment, you can review current requirements in the Graduate Catalog.

Students who are returning to Webster University for a subsequent master’s degree should set up an appointment to speak to their advisor.

We offer five terms per year, eight or nine weeks, depending on the course; Fall 1, Fall 2, Spring 1, Spring 2 and Summer. Most courses meet one night per week for about four hours, and are 3 credit hours. Part-time students typically take one course per term or 3 credits. Full-time students typically take two courses per term, or 6 credits.

9-Week Term, At-A-Glance

  • Week 1: Start of term. Online classes open the Friday prior to the start of the term. Students can add a course through the first course meeting. Drop period and 100% refund period ends Friday of week 1.
  • Week 2: Withdraw period and 75% refund period ends Friday of week 2.
  • Week 3: Withdraw period. 50% refund ends Friday of week 3.
  • Week 4: Withdraw period. 25% refund ends Friday of week 4.
  • Week 5: Withdraw period. 0% refund.
  • Week 6: Withdraw period ends Friday of week 6. 0% refund.
  • Week 7: Late withdraw period. Work with academic advisor if extenuating circumstances. 0% refund.
  • Week 8: Late withdraw period. Work with academic advisor if extenuating circumstances. 0% refund.
  • Week 9: End of term.

BUSN 5000 provides an overview of the common professional competencies expected of any successful business student. To be considered for a waiver, students must either have completed an undergraduate or graduate business degree from an ACBSP, AACSB, IACBE, EQUIS or AMBA accredited business program, provide official transcripts documenting prior successful completion of the required professional competencies, or successfully pass the BUSN 5000 waiver exam. The prerequisite course may not count as an elective in the MBA, but may count as an elective toward other programs. The CPCs include successful completion of the following coursework:

  • Marketing
  • Management
  • Business Law
  • Economics
  • Business Ethics
  • Global Business
  • Quantitative Analysis or Stats
  • Accounting
  • Finance
  • Information Systems

Students who do not meet the waiver requirements may opt to take the BUSN 5000 waiver exam offered through Peregrine Academic Services. The exam addresses all of the undergraduate Common Professional Components (CPC) as defined by ACBSP standards. Accredited graduate programs are required to confirm student mastery of CPCs. Exam access is provided to student through their academic advisor.

The waiver exam costs $40. This must be paid upon registration for the exam and is non-refundable. A passing score is 60% or higher. At the completion of the exam, students will receive a completion certificate in PDF form. Students will email their certificate to advising@webster.edu to receive the waiver. Students may retake the exam once. An additional attempt will require an additional $40 fee.

Coursework from other regionally accredited academic institutions, professional military education and/or corporate training classes may be eligible for transfer into your graduate degree program.

If you have completed graduate courses with grades of B- or better from other regionally accredited academic institutions, or have completed professional military education and/or corporate training classes, the course work may be eligible for transfer into your graduate degree program, up to a specified maximum, depending on your Webster program. The courses must be relevant to your graduate degree with Webster University and may not have applied as credit toward another degree. Up to nine (9) semester hours may be transferred to an MBA or MS program, and up to twelve (12) semester hours may be transferred to an MA program.
Approval of military and corporate credit is usually based on the American Council on Education (ACE) recommendations. Webster also offers credit for many Government /Military Cooperative Degree Programs independent of the ACE recommendations.

Request Transfer Credit

You must apply for admission or already be accepted to a graduate program in order for us to evaluate transcripts for transfer credit.

To find out if your transfer credits may apply to your Webster degree, contact an advisor at your local Webster campus. If you are not close to a Webster campus, contact the Academic Advising Center or the advisor who assisted you during your initial advising session. Please provide the course numbers, course titles, number of credits and where completed. If you are asking for transferred courses to be accepted in place of a course required for the degree, we will need the course description and syllabus for the course(s) in question. Unofficial transcripts sent as attachments to an appropriate advisor are useful when requesting a preliminary transfer credit evaluation.

All transfer credit evaluations are estimates until official transcripts are received to the appropriate campus. Students working with the main campus should have official transcripts for academic courses, or official documentation for military or corporate classes, sent to: Julie Altmann, Academic Advising Center, Webster University, 568 Garden Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63119-3248.

Finding the balance between graduate school, personal life and professional life means setting priorities. To be successful in graduate school, it is recommended that a student dedicate at least 12-16 hours outside of class per week toward reading, projects, writing and other course expectations. For students working full time while in graduate school, taking only one class per term is recommended. Setting yourself up with a strong support network while you are pursuing your graduate studies can be key toward your continued progress and ultimate degree attainment. Your academic advisor is one person in your support network who is available for guidance and assistance.
Webster student talking with academic advisor.

Graduate Advising for International Students

Webster student talking with academic advisor.

International Student Academic Advisor

International students on F-1 and J-1 visas will be advised by an international student academic advisor who provides academic advising for most graduate degree programs. Students in certain specialized programs will be assigned to a faculty advisor. Initial advising appointments may be conducted via email, virtually, phone or in person. Students should schedule appointments in advance by contacting the Academic Advising Center at 314-968-6972 or 800-982-3847 or by email.

International Student Resources

International Student Services provides information for prospective and current international students on a variety of topics.

International graduate students on F-1 and J-1 visas must be enrolled in 6 credit hours per 9-week term, to maintain full time status.

The Multicultural Center and International Student Affairs (MCISA) is your go-to resource for getting involved at Webster University. There are many programs, volunteer opportunities, social engagements, professional and developmental opportunities available to enhance your Webster University experience. MCISA also coordinates your arrival and orientation.

On-Campus Employment: Students on F-1 and J-1 visas are allowed to request permission to work on-campus for up to 20 hours per week during enrollment sessions. For the current list of available on-campus employment opportunities, please visit the Career Planning and Development Center's Student Employment Page.

Optional Practical Training (OPT) allows students to work within their field of study for up to one year after their degree completion. OPT is work that is applied for and granted by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

Curricular Practical Training (CPT) allows a student who has maintained F-1 status for at least nine months (or four consecutive full time terms of enrollment) to work within their field of study during an approved internship for academic credit.
News and Events

Around Academic Advising