Doctoral Degree
Doctoral degrees generally require a course of study of 60 credits beyond a master's degree or 90 credits beyond a bachelor's degree. A dissertation represents a culmination of original research in a specified discipline. For the EdD, 12 research credits are required; for the PhD, a minimum of 12 research credits are required.
The following publication is required in preparing your dissertation: Publication Guide for Graduate Students
Doctoral Degree Forms
Supervisory Committee Approval form
Click here to download the form.
Due: By the end of the second semester
Signatures needed: Department head, initials from all committee members
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A Supervisory Committee Approval form confirms and formalizes the names of authorized individuals who will serve on a student's committee.
When a doctoral student is admitted, the department head appoints a temporary advisor to work with the student until a supervisory committee is established. A Supervisory Committee Approval form must be submitted to the dean of the School of Graduate Studies for approval by the end of the student's second semester following matriculation. Committee changes are not to be made during the 6 weeks prior to the final defense. When completing the Supervisory Committee Approval form, please follow instructions 1-5 in the lower left corner of the form.
A doctoral supervisory committee must include at least 5 faculty members with doctoral degrees who are approved by the department head and the dean of the School of Graduate Studies. Three members must be from within and at least one must be from outside the department or interdepartmental degree-granting program in which the student is matriculated. Adjunct faculty can serve on the doctoral committees with the approval of the dean of the School of Graduate Studies. Upon recommendation of the department head, emeritus faculty may serve on supervisory committees, but may not chair new committees.
For information about the guidelines for supervisory committee appointments, click here.
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Program of Study form
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Due: By the end of the third semester
Signatures needed: Major professor, committee members, department head, student
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The Program of Study form constitutes a contract between the student, the committee, and the School of Graduate Studies regarding what courses a student will take and what competencies the student will meet in completion of the program-of-study requirements.
The original Program of Study form with signatures in ink should be submitted to the School of Graduate Studies by the student before the end of the third semester following matriculation. Amendments to the Program of Study form can be made with an e-mail from the major professor to Laura Holley and carbon copies (CCs) must be sent to all committee members. No changes can be made to the Program of Study form within the 2 months prior to the defense.
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Application for Candidacy form
Click here to download the form.
Due: At least 3 months prior to the final defense with the Proposal Cover Sheet
Signatures needed: Major professor, committee members, department head, student
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The Application for Candidacy form must be submitted 3 months before the student's final defense and must accompany a signed copy of the student's dissertation proposal cover sheet. The Application for Candidacy form, signed by all members of the committee and the department head, attests that the student is ready to conduct independent dissertation research.
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Proposal Cover Sheet
Click here to see a sample.
Due: At least 3 months prior to the final defense with the Application for Candidacy form
Signatures needed: Committee members
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The Proposal Cover Sheet, signed by all members of the committee and submitted to the School of Graduate Studies following the proposal defense, formalizes an agreement between the student and committee members regarding the topic and content of the student's dissertation.
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Appointment for Examination form
Click here to download the form.
Due: At least 10 working days prior to the defense
Signatures needed: Major professor, committee members
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The Appointment for Examination form formally notifies the School of Graduate Studies that the student will be defending his or her dissertation. This allows the School of Graduate Studies to confirm that all required paperwork has been submitted by the student, and also ensures the student that committee members have read the dissertation ahead of time and agree that it is ready to be defended.
The final defense should be scheduled by the student after all courses and the dissertation are completed. At least 4 weeks prior to the defense, the student should give a copy of the dissertation to each member of the supervisory committee for approval or corrections. An Appointment for Examination form must be completed by the student and committee, indicating approval of the proposed time and place for the examination and defense, and submitted by the student to the School of Graduate Studies a minimum of 10 working days prior to the exam.
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Data and Copyright form and Plans for Publication form
*This form is not available online.
Due: Following the final defense
Signatures needed: Major professor, committee members, student
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The Data and Copyright form and the Plans for Publication form formalize an agreement between the student and major professor about copyrighting the dissertation, publishing the student's thesis, and the ownership of the data. Filing these forms make these agreements clear should future misunderstandings or disputes occur.
The student and all committee members are required to sign a Data and Copyright form and a Plans for Publication form. The forms are given to the student at his or her final defense of the dissertation. The forms must be submitted to the School of Graduate Studies following the final defense.
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Thesis/Dissertation Format and Style form
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Due: With the dissertation when submitted to the School of Graduate Studies
Signatures needed: Major professor, departmental format/style reviewer (check with your department to identify your format/style reviewer)
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The student is responsible for proofreading the dissertation and having it read and approved by the department before submitting a final, committee-approved and signed copy - with the Thesis/Dissertation Format and Style form attached - to the assistant dean the School of Graduate Studies. The Thesis/Dissertation Format and Style form communicates which dissertation format has been chosen by the student and major professor and who will be responsible for communications about dissertation revisions. The assistant dean will review the dissertation for proper format and conformity to departmental and School of Graduate Studies standards. The assistant dean will attach a check sheet of formatting, stylistic, and mechanical problems and will mark examples of needed changes on the dissertation.
Format corrections and required rewriting must be completed before the assistant dean will submit the dissertation to the dean of the School of Graduate Studies for approval. The dean examines each dissertation before approving and signing it. Any dissertation may be selected for further review by members of the faculty not on the student's supervisory committee or by expert reviewers at other institutions before being accepted by the dean.
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Thesis/Dissertation Processing Date form
*This form is not available online.
Due: Optional, following the thesis defense
Signatures needed: Major professor
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The student may reserve a processing date for the thesis by completing the Thesis/Dissertation Processing Date form after the dissertation defense. This is optional but, if used, guarantees that the dissertation will be read within 3 days of the processing date reserved. The final committee-approved and signed dissertation should be submitted to the assistant dean by at least the day before the reserved processing date. If a processing date has not been reserved but the student would like to finish by the end of a semester, he or she must submit the final committee-approved and signed dissertation to the assistant dean of the School of Graduate Studies at least 7 weeks before the last day of the semester. At other times, the signed dissertation must be submitted at least 4 weeks prior to anticipated program completion.
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Doctoral Degree Checklist
Click here to download a printable checklist
- Committee form approved and up-to-date (by the end of the second semester).
- Program of Study form approved (before end of the third semester). All courses listed on the form have been taken and grades submitted. If there is to be any change on the Program of Study form, an e-mail from your major professor, sent to Laura Holley, is needed authorizing the change.
- No coursework (including transfer credit) on the Program of Study form is out-of-date (older than 8 years). If so, has the major professor been notified? If revalidation is allowed by the department, the major professor must send a letter to the dean of the School of Graduate Studies outlining how the courses will be revalidated.
- Dissertation proposal signed by committee members and submitted to the School of Graduate Studies.
- Application for Candidacy form approved, including verification that comprehensive exams have been passed (3 months prior to final defense).
- Appointment for Examination form submitted to the School of Graduate Studies at least 10 working days before the final examination.
- Registered for at least 3 credits the semester of defense.
- Record of Exam Completion form signed by the committee and submitted to the School of Graduate Studies.
- Data and Copyright and Plans for Publication forms submitted to School of Graduate Studies.
- Graduation forms completed, fees paid, and forms returned to the School of Graduate Studies (these forms are listed below and are given at your final defense):
- Commencement data card
- Diploma (fee)
- Graduation Fee Payment form ($15)
- Alumni file card
- Survey of Earned Doctorate form
- Student survey
- Electronic Thesis and Dissertation (ETD) Approval form signed. (This form is also included with the forms given at your final defense.)
- Incomplete grades for research credits changed.
- Dissertation completed and signed by all committee members. When this step is completed, the dissertation should be submitted to the assistant dean for review. When the assistant dean is satisfied that it meets the requirements, the dissertation will be submitted to the dean of the School of Graduate Studies for a signature. When the dean has signed the dissertation, it must be picked up from the School of Graduate Studies office, the copies made, and taken to the second floor of the Merrill-Cazier Library for hard binding. Binding and microfilm fees will be paid to the Merrill-Cazier Library at that time. Please note that the university requires 2 copies of the thesis; one remains in the library and one goes to the department.
- After the dean has signed the dissertation, the student's file will be reviewed for completion and processed for graduation.
- Binding Clearance form returned to the School of Graduate Studies. This is the final document signaling completion of degree.
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