Program of Study, Candidacy, Application for a Degree

Program of Study

A Program of Study must be submitted to and approved by the Graduate School the semester prior to the semester in which a student intends to graduate. The submission date is defined as: the date the program of study is submitted to the Graduate School with all student, department, and college signatures. See "Dates, Deadlines, and Procedures" for specific dates. The Program of Study will list all requirements that must be completed in order to receive the degree or certificate; this includes committee members. 

If the requirements for the degree or certificate being sought change during a student’s program, the student is entitled to follow those requirements in effect at the time of admission, or the student may elect to follow newer requirements.

Candidacy for Doctoral Degrees

Admission to candidacy for doctoral degrees occurs after the student has passed a preliminary/qualifying examination that is usually administered early in the program; or when substantially all course work has been completed and the comprehensive examination has been passed.

Students seeking doctoral degrees must submit a Program of Study to the Graduate School upon completion of examinations, along with a letter verifying advancement to candidacy, noting the candidate’s successful examination completion. See "Dates, Deadlines, and Procedures" for specific dates. The Program of Study lists all requirements that must be completed in order to receive the doctoral degree.

Application for a Degree

An application for graduation must be filed with the Graduate School. See "Dates, Deadlines, and Procedures" for specific dates.

The application and a diploma processing fee of $20 must be paid at this time. If the student does not complete requirements during this semester, an updated application must be submitted for the subsequent semester and a $20 reprocessing fee paid to the Graduate School.

Degree applicants must submit all official transcripts to the Graduate School before applying for a degree. Official transcripts to be used for transfer of credits into a degree program must be received before the application for a degree will be processed.

Applications for degrees will not be processed without the prior approval of a Program of Study.