School of Graduate Studies

• Supervisory Committee Approval form (fillable pdf)

• Due: By the end of the second semester

  Signatures needed: Major professor, committee members, department head

  A Supervisory Committee Approval form confirms and formalizes the names of authorized individuals who will serve on a student’s committee.

  The Supervisory Committee Approval form must be filed by the end of the second semester for Plan A master’s students. When completing the form, please follow instructions 1-5 in the lower left corner of the form.

  No changes can be made on a Supervisory Committee Approval form within the six weeks prior to a student’s final defense.

• Note: A master’s degree supervisory committee must include at least three faculty members who are approved by the department head and the dean of graduate studies. At least one member must represent the student’s area of specialization, and at least one must be from outside the specialization area. Adjunct faculty can be members with the approval of the dean of graduate studies. Upon recommendation of the department head, emeritus faculty may serve on supervisory committees, but may not chair new committees.

• Program of Study form (Master's) (fillable pdf)

• Due: By the end of the second semester

  Signatures needed: Major professor, committee members, department head, student

  The Program of Study form constitutes a contract between the student, the committee, and the School of Graduate Studies regarding what courses a student will take in completion of his or her program requirements. 

  The original Program of Study form with signatures in ink should be submitted to the School of Graduate Studies by the student by the end of the second semester following matriculation. Amendments to the Program of Study form can be made with an e-mail from the major professor to Joan Rudd (joan.rudd@usu.edu) and carbon copies (CCs) to all committee members. No changes can be made to the Program of Study form within the two months prior to the defense.

• Hint: Graduate students using university facilities or faculty time must be registered for a minimum of 3 graduate credits every semester until completion of all degree requirements.  

  A graduate student who is not using university facilities or faculty time may meet the continuous registration requirement by paying the Continuous Registration Fee of $100 per semester (not necessary for summer semester). This alternative requires a written request from the department head, including verification that the student is not using university facilities and/or faculty time. International students usually do not qualify to pay the Continuous Registration Fee because of immigration regulations.

• See General Catalog for more information. 

• Program of Study form (Doctoral) (fillable pdf)

• Due: By the end of the third semester 

  Signatures needed: Major professor, committee members, department head, student

  The Program of Study form constitutes a contract between the student, the committee, and the School of Graduate Studies regarding what courses a student will take and what competencies the student will meet in completion of his or her program requirements.

  The original Program of Study form with signatures in ink should be submitted to the School of Graduate Studies by the student by the end of the third semester following matriculation. Amendments to the Program of Study form can be made with an e-mail from the major professor to Joan Rudd (joan.rudd@usu.edu) and carbon copies (CCs) must be sent to all committee members. No changes can be made to the Program of Study form within the two months prior to the defense.

• Hint: Graduate students using university facilities or faculty time must be registered for a minimum of three graduate credits every semester until completion of all degree requirements.  

  A graduate student who is not using university facilities or faculty time may meet the continuous registration requirement by paying the Continuous Registration Fee of $100 per semester (not necessary for summer semester). This alternative requires a written request from the department head, including verification that the student is not using university facilities and/or faculty time. International students usually do not qualify to pay the Continuous Registration Fee because of immigration regulations.

  See General Catalog for more information.

• 

• Appointment for Examination form (thesis/dissertation) (fillable pdf)

• Due: At least 2 weeks or 10 working days before the defense

  Signatures needed: Major professor, committee members

  The Appointment for Examination form formally notifies the School of Graduate Studies that the student will be defending his or her thesis. This allows the School of Graduate Studies to confirm that all required paperwork has been submitted by the student and ensures the student that committee members have read the thesis ahead of time and agree that it is ready to be defended.

  The final defense should be scheduled by the student after all courses and the thesis are completed. At least 4 weeks prior to the defense, the student should give a copy of the thesis to each member of the supervisory committee for approval or corrections. 

• An Appointment for Examination form must be completed by the student and committee indicating approval of the proposed time and place for the examination and defense and submitted by the student to the School of Graduate Studies a minimum of 10 working days prior to the defense. 

  Hint: You will save yourself time later if you will ask all committee members to sign your dissertation title page at the conclusion of your defense. They can hold it until corrections have been made.

• Appointment for Examination form (non-thesis/plan B) (fillable pdf)

• Due: At least 2 weeks or 10 working days prior to the defense

  Signatures needed: Major professor, committee members

  The Appointment for Examination form formally notifies the School of Graduate Studies that the student will be defending his or her project. This allows the School of Graduate Studies to confirm that all required paperwork has been submitted by the student and ensures the student that committee members have read the project ahead of time and agree that it is ready to be defended.

  The final defense should be scheduled by the student after all courses and the Plan B project are completed. At least 4 weeks prior to the defense, the student should give a copy of the Plan B project to each member of the supervisory committee for approval or corrections. An Appointment for Examination form must be completed by the student and committee, indicating approval of the proposed time and place for the examination and defense, and submitted by the student to the School of Graduate Studies a minimum of 10 working days prior to the exam. 

• Thesis/Dissertation Format and Style form (pdf)

• Due: With the thesis when it is submitted to the School of Graduate Studies

  Signatures needed: Major professor, departmental format/style reviewer (check with your department to identify your format/style reviewer)

  The student is responsible for proofreading the thesis and having it read and approved by the department before submitting a final, committee-approved and signed copy­ — with the Thesis/Dissertation Format and Style form attached — to the assistant dean in the School of Graduate Studies. The Thesis/Dissertation Format and Style form communicates which thesis format has been chosen by the student and major professor and who will be responsible for communications about thesis revisions. The assistant dean will review the thesis for proper format and conformity to departmental and School of Graduate Studies standards. The assistant dean will attach a check sheet of formatting, stylistic, and mechanical problems and will mark examples of needed changes on the thesis.

  Format corrections and required rewriting must be completed before the assistant dean will submit the thesis to the dean of graduate studies for approval. The dean of graduate studies examines each thesis before approving and signing it. Any thesis may be selected for further review by members of the faculty not on the student’s supervisory committee or by expert reviewers at other institutions before being accepted by the dean.

• Completion of Requirements form (Plan C) (fillable pdf)

• Fall semester completion: October 15

• Spring semester completion: February 15

• Summer semester completion: June 15

• Submission after the semester deadline may jeopardize the desired completion semester. 

Signatures needed: Major professor

A Plan C Completion of Requirements form is submitted by the student’s department during the semester of completion. The purpose of the Plan C Completion of Requirements form is to notify the School of Graduate Studies of the student’s intent to complete during that semester, enabling the School of Graduate Studies staff to confirm that all requirements have been met and the necessary paperwork has been submitted by the student. If a student is completing during summer semester but wants to participate in spring commencement, the department may submit the Plan C Completion of Requirements form by February 15.

• Application for Candidacy form (Doctoral) (fillable pdf)

• Due: Three months prior to the final defense with the Proposal Cover Sheet

  Signatures needed: Major professor, committee members, department head, student

  The Application for Candidacy form must be submitted three months before the student’s final defense and must accompany a signed copy of the student’s dissertation proposal cover sheet. The Application for Candidacy form, signed by all members of the committee and the department head, attests that the student is ready to conduct independent dissertation research. 

• Master's Plan A checklist (pdf) The Plan A option for a master’s degree requires preparation of a thesis. Between 6 and 15 thesis credits are required.  The semester during which a student registers for thesis credit should correspond as closely as possible to the semesters in which the thesis work is done and faculty supervision is provided.

  Checklist

  • Supervisory Committee form approved and up-to-date (end of the second semester).

  • Program of Study form approved (end of the second semester). All courses listed on the form have been taken and grades submitted. If there is to be any change on the Program of Study form, an e-mail from your major professor, sent to  joan.rudd@usu.edu, is needed authorizing the change.

  • Thesis proposal submitted, signed by committee members.

  • No coursework (excluding transfer credit) on the Program of Study form is out-of-date (older than 8 years). If so, has the major professor been notified? If revalidation is allowed by the department, the major professor must send a letter to the dean of graduate studies outlining how the courses will be revalidated.

  • Appointment for Examination form submitted to the School of Graduate Studies at least 2 weeks or 10 working days before the final examination.

  • Registered for at least 3 credit hours the semester of defense.

  • Record of Exam Completion form signed and submitted by the committee to the School of Graduate Studies.

  • Graduation forms completed, fees paid (see Diploma Fee Payment form), and forms returned to the School of Graduate Studies. These forms are listed below and are given at your final defense; they must all be submitted together.
    
     – Commencement data card

    – Diploma Fee Payment form ($15)

    – Alumni file card

    – Student survey

  • Electronic Thesis and Dissertation (ETD) Approval form is signed. This form is also included with the forms given at your final defense and taken to the library with your thesis.

  • Incomplete grades for research credits changed.

  • Thesis completed and signed by all committee members. When this step is completed, the thesis must be submitted to the assistant dean for review. After the assistant dean is satisfied that it meets the requirements, the thesis will be submitted to the dean of graduate studies for a signature. When the dean has signed the thesis, it must be picked up from the School of Graduate Studies, then copies are made and taken to the second floor of the Merrill-Cazier Library for hard binding. Binding fees will be paid to the Merrill-Cazier Library at that time. Please note that the university requires one copy of the thesis, which remains in the library.

  • After the dean has signed the thesis, the student’s file will be reviewed for completion and processed for graduation.

  • Binding Clearance form returned to the School of Graduate Studies. This is the final document signaling completion of degree.

All requirements and graduation forms must be completed by the last day of the semester you plan to complete your program. Deadlines for spring commencement participation vary. Please go to http://www.usu.edu/graduateschool/commencement/requirements.cfm for more information about those deadlines.

Diplomas are mailed out by the Registrar’s Office 8 to 10 weeks after the end of the semester. The diploma will be mailed to the address provided on the Diploma Fee Payment form.

• Master's Plan B checklist (pdf) The Plan B master’s option requires the production of a paper or creative work of art. At least 2 credits of thesis research are required but no more than 3 credits of thesis credit can be included on the Program of Study form. The Plan B paper is usually a review of literature with conclusions drawn after conceptualizing an area of inquiry, planning a systematic search, and analyzing and critiquing the acquired information. The summary and conclusions developed should enhance knowledge in the discipline. Plan B papers and reports should follow the same format specifications as theses and dissertations and are expected to reflect equivalent scholarship standards, even though they may be less intensive and not demand the originality of a Plan A thesis. Plan B papers are defended, but are not reviewed by the assistant dean or signed by the dean of graduate studies. Plan B papers must be submitted to the Merrill-Cazier Library, and the binding receipt must be returned to the School of Graduate Studies.

  Checklist

  • Supervisory Committee form approved and up-to-date (end of the second semester).

  • Program of Study form approved (end of the second semester). All courses listed on the form have been taken and grades submitted. If there is to be any change on the Program of Study form, an e-mail from your major professor, sent to joan.rudd@usu.edu, is needed authorizing the change.

  • No coursework (excluding transfer credit) on the Program of Study form is out-of-date (older than 8 years). If so, has the major professor been notified? If revalidation is allowed by the department, the major professor must send a letter to the dean of graduate studies outlining how the courses will be revalidated.

  • Appointment for Examination form submitted to the School of Graduate Studies at least 2 weeks or 10 working days before the final examination.

  • Registered for at least 3 credit hours the semester of defense.

  • Record of Exam Completion form signed and submitted by the committee to the School of Graduate Studies.

  • Graduation forms completed, fees paid (see Diploma Fee Payment form), and forms returned to the School of Graduate Studies. These forms are listed below and are given at your final defense; they must all be submitted together.
     – Commencement data card
    – Diploma Fee Payment form ($15)
    – Alumni file card
    – Student survey

  • Graduate Report/Creative Project Approval form is signed. This form is also included with the forms given at your final defense and must be taken to the library with your report/project.

  • Incomplete grades for research credits changed.

  • Letter of Completion from the department head submitted. This letter must verify that all requirements for the degree program have been completed.

  • Plan B binding receipt from the library returned to the School of Graduate Studies.

    All requirements and graduation forms must be completed by the last day of the semester you plan to complete your program. Deadlines for spring commencement participation vary. Please go to http://www.usu.edu/graduateschool/commencement/requirements.cfm for more information about those deadlines.

    Diplomas are mailed out by the Registrar’s Office 8 to 10 weeks after the end of the semester. The diploma will be mailed to the address provided on the Diploma Fee Payment form. 

• Master's Plan C checklist (pdf) A master’s degree option with no thesis or Plan B paper is available in some programs. A departmentally approved program that includes a culminating creative or integrative experience must be filed with the School of Graduate Studies. Generally, a course or seminar on research methods is required, but thesis credits are not accepted. Plan C students should contact their departments early in the final semester to be certain that all degree requirements, including completion of graduation forms, will be met and that all appropriate paperwork has been sent to the School of Graduate Studies.

  Checklist

  • Supervisory Committee form approved and up-to-date (end of the second semester). Some departments and programs require a Committee form while others do not. Check with your department to determine whether or not one is required.

  • Program of Study form approved (end of the second semester). All courses listed on the form have been taken and grades submitted. If there is to be any change on the Program of Study form, an e-mail from your major professor, sent to Joan.rudd@usu.edu, is needed authorizing the change.

  • No coursework (including transfer credit) on the Program of Study form is out-of-date (older than 8 years). If so, has the major professor been notified? If revalidation is allowed by the department, the major professor must send a letter to the dean of graduate studies outlining how the courses will be revalidated.

  • Registered for at least three credits the semester of completion of the coursework.

  • Plan C Completion of Requirements form sent from the major professor. This must be received by the School of Graduate Studies before the graduation forms can be released. Due dates for this form are as follows:

    - Fall semester completion: October 15

    - Spring semester completion: February 15

    - Summer semester completion: June 15

  • Submission after the semester deadline may jeopardize the desired completion semester.

  • Incomplete grades must be changed by last day of the semester.

  • Letter of Completion from the department head submitted. This letter must verify that all requirements for the degree program have been completed. This letter must be received by the last day of the semester of completion.

  • Graduation forms submitted. These are given to you when the Plan C Completion of Requirements form is received. The following forms must be completed, fees paid (see Diploma Fee Payment form), and the forms returned together to the School of Graduate Studies:

    – Commencement data card

    – Diploma Fee Payment form ($15)

    – Alumni file card

    – Student survey

• All requirements and graduation forms must be completed by the last day of the semester you plan to complete your program. Deadlines for spring commencement participation vary. Please go to http://www.usu.edu/graduateschool/commencement/requirements.cfm for more information about those deadlines.

• Diplomas are mailed out by the Registrar’s Office 8 to 10 weeks after the end of the semester. The diploma will be mailed to the address provided on the Diploma Fee Payment form. 

• Doctoral checklist (pdf) Doctoral degrees generally require a course of study of 60 credits* beyond a master’s degree or 90 credits* beyond a bachelor’s degree. A dissertation represents a culmination of original research in a specified discipline. For the EdD, 12 research credits are required; for the PhD, a minimum of 12 research credits are required. *Check with individual departments for specific credit-hour requirements. Some doctoral degrees require fewer total credits.

  Checklist

  • Committee form approved and up-to-date (by the end of the third semester).

  • Program of Study form approved (end of the third semester). All courses listed on the form have been taken and grades submitted. If there is to be any change on the Program of Study form, an e-mail from your major professor, sent to joan.rudd@usu.edu, is needed authorizing the change.

  • No coursework (including transfer credit) on the Program of Study form is out-of-date (older than eight years). If so, has the major professor been notified? If revalidation is allowed by the department, the major professor must send a letter to the dean of graduate studies outlining how the courses will be revalidated.

  • Dissertation proposal signed by committee members and submitted to the School of Graduate Studies.

  • Application for Candidacy form approved, including verification that comprehensive exams have been passed (3 months prior to final defense).

  • Appointment for Examination form submitted to the School of Graduate Studies at least 2 weeks or 10 working days before the final examination.

  • Registered for at least 3 credit hours the semester of defense.

  • Record of Exam Completion form signed and submitted by the committee to the School of Graduate Studies.
    Data and Copyright form and Plans for Publication form submitted to School of Graduate Studies.

  • Graduation forms completed, fees paid (see Diploma Fee Payment form), and forms returned to the School of Graduate Studies. These forms are listed below and are given at your final defense; they must all be submitted together.

    – Commencement data card
    – Diploma Fee Payment form ($15)
    – Alumni file card
    – Survey of Earned Doctorate form
    – Student survey

  • Electronic Thesis and Dissertation (ETD) Approval form is signed. This form is also included with the forms given at your final defense and taken to the library with your dissertation.

  • Incomplete grades for research credits changed.

  • Dissertation completed and signed by all committee members. When this step is completed, the dissertation must be submitted to the assistant dean for review. After the assistant dean is satisfied that it meets the requirements, the dissertation will be submitted to the dean of graduate studies for a signature. When the dean has signed the dissertation, it must be picked up from the School of Graduate Studies, then copies are made and taken to the second floor of the Merrill-Cazier Library for hard binding. Binding fees will be paid to the Merrill-Cazier Library at that time. Please note that the university requires one copy of the dissertation which remains in the library.

  • After the dean has signed the dissertation, the student’s file will be reviewed for completion and processed for graduation.

  • Binding Clearance form returned to the School of Graduate Studies. This is the final document signaling completion of degree.

    All requirements and graduation forms must be completed by the last day of the semester you plan to complete your program. Deadlines for spring commencement participation vary. Please go to http://www.usu.edu/graduateschool/commencement/requirements.cfm for more information about those deadlines.

    Diplomas are mailed out by the Registrar’s Office 8 to 10 weeks after the end of the semester. The diploma will be mailed to the address provided on the Diploma Fee Payment form.