Steps	Responsibility	Timing
1. Identify Faculty Advisor	Student/Faculty Advisor	Spring Term – First Year
2. Identify/Appoint Student Committee develop course plan submit Committee form to the Office of Graduate Education	Faculty Advisor/Student	Summer Term (M.S.)-First Year Fall term (Ph.D.) – Second Year
3. Complete Written Candidacy Examination		Spring Term – Second Year
4. Complete Oral Candidacy Examination		Spring Term – Second Year
submit scheduling form 10 working days in advance to the Office of Graduate Education retake of examination requires approval by MCV Campus Graduate Committee	Student
5. Conduct Regular (at least annual) student Committee meetings	Faculty Advisor/Student
6. Faculty Advisor should provide a written annual progress assessment to the student with a copy to the Office of Graduate Education	Faculty Advisor
7. Secure Student Committee approval to write up work as thesis/dissertation	Student/Faculty Advisor	5-6 months in advance of end of desired term of graduation
8. Submit Graduate Application early in the term of intended degree	Student	Within 4 weeks of beginning of term of intended graduation
9. Complete "defensible" thesis/dissertation draft	Student/Faculty Advisor
10. Schedule thesis/dissertation defense; use appropriate form from the Office of Graduate Education	FacultyAdvisor/Student Committee/Student	Initiate 1 month in advance of student intended defense
obtain Committee, Program Director’s signatures	Student	Distribute draft for defense at least two weeks in advance
bring scheduling form and thesis draft to the Office of Graduate Education 10 working days in advance	Student
11. Defense
Advisor (for Ph.D. defense) collects student file and defense form from the Office of Graduate Education	Faculty Advisor	Defense should take place at least two weeks in advance of term end date
following defense, file and form with Committee signatures returned to the Office of Graduate Education	Faculty Advisor
12. Thesis/Dissertation Completion
student retrieves draft copy of thesis/dissertation from the Office of Graduate Education with checklist of format concerns	Student	Allow two weeks for these final activities
student obtains forms required for submission of thesis/dissertation and completion of degree from the Office of Graduate Education	Student
student makes all required corrections subject to review by Advisor/Student Committee	Student
student collects two and only two sets of original signatures on thesis/dissertation title page in black ink from advisor, committee members, department chair only	Student/Faculty/Student Committee/Department Chair
student brings thesis / disseratation signture pages to Office of Graduate Education for Dean's signatures and review of final process	Student
executed signature pages retrieved and document copies, forms and payment completed at Cabell Library	Student