Wake Forest University Graduate Programs: A Comprehensive Overview

Wake Forest University (WFU), a private research university in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, offers a wide array of graduate programs across its various schools. Established in 1834, Wake Forest has evolved into a distinguished institution committed to excellence in both liberal arts and professional education. This overview delves into the graduate programs offered at Wake Forest University, highlighting the mission, structure, and specific offerings of its graduate schools.

The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences

The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences plays a vital role as an engine of discovery, fueling scholarly and creative enterprise. The mission of the WFU Graduate School of Arts and Sciences is to train and mentor future leaders in research, teaching, and innovation for serving humanity. It contributes significantly to the academic reputation of the university by educating the next generation of teachers and scholars and by providing mentors and role models for educating undergraduates. The Graduate School seeks to instill in its students a sense of professionalism, which includes the ethical behavior inherent in their professional role, as well as respect for their colleagues, their field, and for society as a whole. Students are encouraged to be critical, independent thinkers and good citizens, motivated to apply their scholastic efforts to enlighten and improve the wellbeing of society.

The values of the Graduate School are steadfast and consist of critical thinking, service, diversity, discovery, mentoring, and ethics. The vision is for the Graduate School to be a diverse community of excellence.

Degree Programs Offered

The Graduate School confers a variety of degrees, including:

Master of Arts (MA)
Master of Arts in Education (MAED)
Master of Arts in Human Services
Master of Fine Arts (MFA)
Master of Science (MS)
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

In addition to these, the Graduate School offers joint degree programs with the School of Medicine, School of Business, School of Divinity, and School of Law:

MD/MS
MD/PhD
PhD/MMS
MD/MA in Bioethics
PhD/MBA
MDiv/MA in Bioethics, Counseling, or Sustainability
MDiv/MAED
JD/MA in Bioethics and Sustainability

History and Evolution

The first announcement of a program of study leading to an earned graduate degree at Wake Forest was made in 1866. Between 1871 and 1951, 383 Master of Arts and Master of Science degrees were granted. In 1949, the School of Arts and Sciences discontinued admitting applicants for the Master of Arts degree due to the rapid increase in the size of the undergraduate student body following World War II.

In 1961, the Division of Graduate Studies was established, authorizing it to grant the Master of Arts degree in the School of Arts and Sciences and the Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy degrees in the School of Medicine. The first PhD degree was awarded in 1964. In 1967, the Master of Arts in Education degree was added to the graduate program in arts and sciences.

Administration and Governance

The Graduate School is administered by a Dean and a Graduate Council composed of ex-officio administrative officials, twelve faculty members elected by the Graduate School faculty, and two graduate students elected by the Graduate Student Association.

A Collaborative Environment

The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences is one of the engines of creativity of Wake Forest University. Its hallmark is world-class scholarship fueled by an interdisciplinary, collaborative environment. The small size ensures individual attention, tailored advising, and research opportunities well-matched to student interests.

Wake Forest School of Business

The Wake Forest School of Business, originally founded in 1969 as the Babcock School of Management, offers both graduate and undergraduate programs. The school is now housed in Farrell Hall on the main Wake Forest campus.

Read also: Understanding Wake Forest Costs

Master Programs

The School of Business offers seven Master programs and four joint-degree programs, including:

Full-time and part-time Master of Business Administration (MBA)
Master of Science in Accountancy (MSA)
Master of Science in Business Analytics (MSBA)
Master of Science in Management (MSM)

The school also offers a Bachelor of Science (BS) degree program for undergraduates.

Charlotte Center

The Charlotte Center offers two part-time MBA programs (Evening and Saturday), continuing legal education courses, continuing professional education courses, executive education, Lunch & Learn, and speaker events.

Wake Forest School of Divinity

The Wake Forest School of Divinity is "Christian by tradition, Baptist in heritage, and ecumenical in outlook." Gail O'Day was appointed as dean of the school in 2010. In April 2019, Jonathan L. Walton was appointed as the new dean of the divinity school.

The school has 18 faculty members, five adjunct faculty, and 12 associated faculty from other university departments.

Read also: Wake Forest Student Body

Wake Forest University School of Law

The Wake Forest University School of Law is a private American Bar Association-accredited law school and a member of the Association of American Law Schools. The school was established in 1894.

Degree Programs

Wake Forest Law offers the following degrees:

Juris Doctor (JD)
JD/Master of Divinity (M.Div.)
JD/Master of Arts (MA) in Religion
JD/MA in Bioethics
Master of Studies in Law (MSL)
Master of Laws (LLM) in American Law
Doctor of Juridical Science (SJD)
JD/MBA in conjunction with the university's Schools of Business

Wake Forest School of Medicine

The Wake Forest School of Medicine has two campuses: the Bowman Gray Campus in Winston-Salem and a downtown campus.

Partnership with Atrium Health

Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center and Atrium Health announced a partnership in 2019 with the goal of establishing a Charlotte, North Carolina, campus for the Wake Forest School of Medicine. Construction was slated to begin in 2022, with the first students attending in 2024.

Research Culture

With a multitude of ongoing translational studies, the research culture on the school of medicine campus is highly collaborative.

Additional Academic Resources and Initiatives

Reynolda Campus

The Reynolda Campus is the main campus for Wake Forest University, housing the undergraduate colleges, three of the four graduate schools, and half the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.

Reynolda House Museum of American Art

Wake Forest students regularly get involved at Reynolda House through internships, volunteer opportunities, and academic research. In 2010, Reynolda House and Wake Forest partnered on a first-year student orientation project that uses the museum's masterpiece by Frederic Church, The Andes of Ecuador, as the focal point of the summer academic experience.

Reynolda Gardens

Wake Forest students and faculty engage in research throughout the preserve.

Graylyn Estate

Wake Forest University owns and manages one of the premier meeting destinations in the southeast. Graylyn was built as a private estate for Bowman Gray, Sr., and his family in 1932.

University Corporate Center

Built as the world headquarters for Reynolds Tobacco Company, RJR Nabisco donated the more than 500,000-square-foot building to Wake Forest University in 1987.

International Programs

Wake Forest offers several international programs, including:

Casa Artom in Venice
Flow House in Vienna
Worrell House in London

Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion

Wake Forest University is committed to diversity, inclusion and the spirit of its motto, Pro Humanitate. In adherence with applicable laws and as provided by University policies, the University prohibits discrimination in its employment practices and its educational programs and activities on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, genetic information, disability and veteran status.

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