Degree Application Procedures
Graduate degree candidates must submit an Application for Graduate Degree the semester they expect to graduate and by the deadline stated in the Class Schedule. The application is completed by the candidate and approved by the graduate advisor and respective college dean. The candidate must submit the application to the Graduate School before the deadline to allow a complete review of the academic record. Graduate degree candidates will receive email notification from the Graduate School upon approval of the application. The diploma fee and if applicable, the thesis or dissertation on-line publication fee, is billed to the candidate’s Goldmine account upon approval of the Application for Graduate Degree. Degree candidates should not submit payment with the application nor pay any graduation fees until the Application for Graduate Degree is approved by the Graduate School. The Application for Graduate Degree is only valid for one semester. If the student does not graduate on the date specified in the application, the student must reapply for graduation. Diplomas or transcripts will not be released until all fees are paid.

Required Forms:    Application for Graduate Degree
                            Degree Plan
                            Completion/Defense Form
                            Resume & Biographical Sketch (Requied of Doctoral Candidates Only)
                            Survey of Earned Doctorates (Required from Doctoral Candidates Only)

Thesis
The thesis is a finished manuscript submitted to meet degree requirements which reflects a comprehensive understanding of the candidate’s research. The thesis is written under the direction of a supervising committee, consisting of at least two departmental representatives and one member from outside the department. All members of the supervising committee must be permanent or temporary members of the Graduate Faculty. The thesis is subject to the approval of the committee and ultimately to the approval of the dean of the Graduate School. Researching and writing of the thesis involves 6 semester hours of credit. To earn the 6 credit hours, students must successfully complete the 5398-5399 thesis sequence. Initial enrollment is in course 5398. Thereafter continuous enrollment in course 5399 is required during each semester in which thesis work is being done. Provisional grades of P-in Progress are assigned for thesis courses until completion. P-in Progress grades indicate progress in a sequential course and a standard grade is assigned at the end of the sequence.  P-in Progress grades remain on the student record until the committee and dean of the Graduate School approve the thesis. A standard grade will be issued by the instructor of record upon completion and the grade point average calculated to issue grades for all enrollments in the thesis sequence. Enrollment in 5398 or 5399 in excess of 6 hours are graded on a Pass(S)/Fail(U) basis. Students may not enroll in 5398 and 5399 simultaneously nor enroll in more than three hours of thesis at any one time, and must be enrolled during the semester of graduation. If a student has not completed thesis work at the end of two years after the subject has been approved and recorded, the advisor may require the student to choose another subject. Information on thesis preparation can be obtained at Thesis and Dissertation Guide.

Non-Thesis
Some programs require internship reports, professional reports or formal papers prepared in certain graduate seminar or conference-type courses in lieu of a thesis. Non-theses are reviewed and accepted by the supervising committee and if required, submitted to the academic graduate department. Students are responsible for adhering to the policies and procedures of their programs. The Graduate School does not require the submission of non-theses but requires the submission of a Completion/Defense form from students following the non-thesis option.

Dissertation
The dissertation is a finished manuscript submitted to meet degree requirements which reflects a comprehensive understanding of the candidate’s research. The dissertation is written under the direction of a supervising committee. For composition of the supervising committee, please refer to the section in the Graduate Catalog that describes the doctoral program. All members of the supervising committee must be permanent or temporary members of the Graduate Faculty. The dissertation is subject to the approval of the committee and ultimately to the approval of the dean of Graduate School. Researching and writing of the dissertation usually involves up to 12 semester hours of credit. In order to earn the 12 credit hours, initial enrollment must be in course 6320 or 6398. Thereafter continuous enrollment in course 6321 or 6399 is required during each semester in which dissertation work is being done. Provisional grades of P-in Progress are assigned until completion. A final grade is assigned at the end of the 6320/21 or 6398/99 dissertation sequence. P-in Progress grades remain on the student record until the committee and dean of the Graduate School approve the dissertation. A standard grade will be issued by the instructor of record upon completion and the grade point average calculated to issue grades for all enrollments in the dissertation sequence. Enrollment in dissertation in excess of 12 hours is graded on a Pass(S)/Fail(U) basis. Students may not enroll in 6320 and 6321 or in 6398 and 6399 simultaneously nor enroll in more than three hours of dissertation at any one time, and must be enrolled during the semester of graduation. Information on dissertation preparation can be obtained at Thesis and Dissertation Guide.

Financial Aid Eligibility and Credit Hour Requirements
Master’s and doctoral students in their final semester of thesis or dissertation must enroll for a minimum of four hours to maintain financial aid eligibility. 

All candidates are required to pass an oral and/or written examination. The examining committee often consists of at least three graduate faculty members. The committee will have one representative from the minor area, if the program has one. If there is no minor, one member of the committee must be from another department. Individual departments may elect to dismiss a student after a first or second failure of the examination upon the recommendation of the examining committee, but under no circumstances will a student be permitted to take the examination more than three times. A student failing such an examination for the third time will be dismissed from the program. The candidate must submit an approved Completion/Defense Form to the Graduate School by the deadline as stated in the Class Schedule of the final semester of study.

Degrees are conferred at the end of each semester and at the end of the summer session. For summer graduates, the degree is conferred at the end of the last summer session regardless of the session of enrollment. Formal commencement ceremonies are held in May for all candidates who complete degree requirements during the spring semester and in December for fall candidates and previous summer graduates. Summer candidates may participate in May commencement if no more than 6 hours are needed to complete the degree during the summer session. Please note that names of summer graduates only appear in the December commencement program even if summer candidates participate in May commencement. Summer candidates participating in May commencement must complete the application process by the published deadline for May graduation. Doctoral degree candidates must successfully defend by Dead Day of the intended semester of graduation to be eligible to participate in commencement.