Student Policies and Procedures

Graduate Program Checklist

Steps	Responsibility	Timing
1. Identify Faculty Advisor	Student/Faculty Advisor	Spring Term - First Year
2. Identify/Appoint Student Committee develop course plan create committee membership using the GradTrak system and submit for approval.	Faculty Advisor/Student	Summer Term (M.S.)-First Year Fall term (Ph.D.) - Second Year
3. Complete Written Candidacy Examination	Student	Spring Term - Second Year
4. Complete Oral Candidacy Examination		Spring Term - Second Year
Schedule Oral Candidacy Examination at least 2 weeks in advance using the GradTrak system. submit scheduling form and grant proposal (or document designated by your program to be used as the basis for the examination) 2 weeks 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	Five to six months in advance of end of desired term of graduation
8. Submit Graduation Application early in the term of intended degree	Student	Within four weeks of beginning of term of intended graduation
9. Complete “defensible” thesis/dissertation draft	Student/Faculty Advisor
10. Schedule thesis/dissertation defense using the GradTrak system as early as possible, but no later than 2 weeks in advance of exam date.	Faculty Advisor/Student Committee/Student	Initiate one 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 2 weeks in advance	Student
11. Defense
Advisor (for Ph.D. defense) collects student file and defense report 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 defense report form with Committee signatures returned to the Office of Graduate Education	Faculty Advisor
12. After the Successful Defense
Upload thesis/dissertation to VCU Digital Archives Execution of ETD Approval Form (Ph.D only) Survey of Earned Doctorates (Ph.D only) Publish Dissertation with UMI/PROQUEST Graduation Application finalized; recent transcript from E-Services attached.	Student	To be completed by School of Medicine published deadlines for term of intended graduation.

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