1. Validation by Advisor and Student Advisory Committee that the body of research is an adequate basis for writing of the thesis/dissertation.
2. Student files the Graduation Application; Graduation Applications are obtained from the Office of Graduate Education.
3. Advisor approves thesis/dissertation in "all but" final form as satisfactory for defense.
4. Defense is scheduled.

• All Student Advisory Committee members sign scheduling form confirming receipt of thesis and defense date. (Chair and/or Graduate Program Director also signs scheduling form).

• Completed scheduling form and thesis/dissertation copy is registered in the Office of Graduate Education at least ten working days in advance of the defense date.

• At this point the thesis/dissertation is reviewed for compliance with University format requirements; a check list drawing attention to needed changes is prepared and collected by the student; additional forms required for degree completion are provided.

5. Defense implementation.

• Prior to the defense (one-three days) the Chair of the examining committee obtains the student file and defense report form from the Office of Graduate Education (for the Ph.D. defense, the Chair is the faculty advisor; for an M.S. defense, the Chair is appointed by the Office of Graduate Education.

• Following the defense the student file and the completed defense form bearing all Committee signatures is returned to the Office of Graduate Education.

6. Thesis/Dissertation Completion.

• All corrections, both substantive and in format are made.

• The thesis/dissertation in final form, the reviewed cop,y and the format check list are brought to the Office of Graduate Education for review.

• The Advisor, Student Advisory Committee members and the Department Chair sign the thesis/dissertation signature pages in black ink; two and only two original signature pages are required.

• The student brings copies of the thesis/dissertation which will be bound, the two copies of the executed signature pages, paper for any additional required signature pages and all required forms to the Office of Graduate Education.

• The Deans’ signatures are obtained by the Office of Graduate Education (one-three day turnaround) and student is notified; copies of signature pages as required are made.

• Copies of the thesis/dissertation are taken (by the student) to Cabell Library/2^nd Floor, Room 201/Business Office; delivery of the thesis to the library completes the degree requirements.
  

Getting It Done Tips

1. Initiate Writing early.
2. Write Early and Often.
3. Even in advance of being "approved" for "writing it up", you can and should be writing. Experimental protocols, sections of background that will be part of the introduction, figures, references, etc. can all be worked on as you go. This establishes the habit of writing in a way that is consistent with the thesis/dissertation format and will give you a head start on what is otherwise a daunting task.
4. Communicate with your Advisor and Committee.
5. Advance planning with your advisor will avoid nasty surprises; for example, giving your advisor your thesis/dissertation to review two weeks before his/her competitive renewal is due in Washington is unlikely to be well received. Similarly, do not wait until you have the defense copy ready for distribution to your Committee to determine if they are available for the planned defense date. This sounds pretty obvious, but we have had examples where a student has "discovered" that a Committee member is on sabbatical leave two weeks before the planned defense date.
6. Direct "process" questions to the Office of Graduate Education.
7. Please do not rely on what someone tells you about the process. The odds are that they will not remember everything and may inadvertently misinform you.
8. Allow time for "post-defense" recovery and completion of corrections and the final requirements for degree completion.
9. Inevitably, the minute that your Committee says "congratulations!" at your defense, your mind and body will say, "I’m done!" NO YOU ARE NOT! It isn’t easy to recover your focus to take care of the remaining details, but they are no less essential to completing your degree. No one has ever eagerly looked forward to corrections, copying, etc. but this MUST be done.
10. Plan your overall schedule well in advance. Once you have created what you believe to be a reasonable period in which you can complete writing, double the time allotted.

As anxiety increases, comprehension of instruction/reminders of what needs to be done seems to decrease. We understand that you "got to get done". Help us help you to do so and please understand (particularly near the end of any term) that many of your peers will have transferred their anxiety to the Office of Graduate Education in advance of your arrival. It would also be very helpful if you would let the Office of Graduate Education know in advance of your coming.

Degree Completion/Frequently Asked Questions

Q = What can be done if a member of the Committee has a conflict, creating a problem in scheduling the defense?

A = With the approval of the Advisor and the involved Committee member, a colleague (who must be a member of the Graduate Faculty) can substitute at the defense. In cases where a Committee member is unavailable for a prolonged time period (e.g. study leave, illness), it may be prudent to replace the individual on the Committee. Please remember that a revised Committee Form must be filed, if the Committee membership is changed.

It is possible for Committee members to participate in the defense through teleconferencing and/or video conferencing. In such cases, the Chair signs the defense form for the geographically distant faculty member.

Q = How far in advance of the defense should the thesis/dissertation be distributed to the Committee members for reading?

A = The student must distribute the document at least ten working days in advance of the defense. Faculty may require a longer interval for reading the thesis/dissertation and, within reason, this is prerogative of the faculty. The student should ensure in advance that all Committee members are agreeable to a given "reading period."

Q = Does the Committee have to read the thesis/dissertation before scheduling the defense?

A = No. The Advisor has the responsibility to his/her colleagues for indicating that the document is "good enough" to serve as the basis for the defense. When the Advisor signs the scheduling form he/she is indicating that this is the case. Committee member signatures on the scheduling form indicate (1) receipt of the document and (2) agreement to the defense date/time.

Q = Does tuition have to be paid for an additional term if the thesis/dissertation copies do not reach Cabell Library by the University deadline?

A = Yes. An individual must be registered (enrolled) in the term in which degree requirements are completed. The defense does NOT constitute completion of degree requirements.

Q = How are students/faculty supposed to know about all these details?

A = We employ a variety of mechanisms to transmit information which include:

1. The "Process Handbook"
2. A calendar of deadlines and due dates, both of these are available from the Office of Graduate Education, Room 1-058 Sanger Hall.
3. "Degree Completion Workshops" are held early in the Fall and Spring terms.