Doctoral Program Chronology

Coursework:

• Admission deadline for scholarships 1-15
• Admission to program; begin coursework
• File Electronic Plan of Study (POS)
  • About halfway through the coursework (24-30 credits) is a guideline.
  • Note that nothing on the Plan of Study can be more than 5 years old at the time the POS is approved.
  • You will need a 3 member committee at this time.

Predissertation Study (this could be one of your prelims):

• Seek IRB/Human Subjects approval for study. Pass test to conduct research.
• Collect data; analyze data.

Prelims:

• Meet with major professor to get prelim structure and content
• Meet with two other faculty to arrange for the content and form of two other prelim projects/papers/grants
• Arrange a meeting with all faculty to agree on the scope and depth of the prelim
• Turn in written prelims; schedule oral.
  • Note: 2 semesters must elapse between passing prelim oral and dissertation defense.
  • Note: a maximum of 3 credits of EDPS 69900 (dissertation credit) may be taken before successful completion of prelims.
• Final of draft of written prelims must be to committee members 2 weeks before the oral.
• Pass oral exam portion of prelims.

Dissertation:[NOTE: Ph.D.must be completed in 8 years or less.]

• Complete draft of first 3 chapters of the dissertation (this is what is called the "dissertation proposal") with major professor; schedule proposal meeting (sometimes called "proposal defense")
  • Note: Proposal draft must be to committee members 2 weeks before the proposal meeting.
  • Note: Eventually, you will need a 4th committee member. This is a wise time to bring the 4th member on.
  • Use EDPS 63000 to prepare a draft of dissertation proposal.
• Hold proposal meeting to finalize dissertation study.
• Work on remaining chapters; write, write, write; revise, revise, revise.
• Schedule dissertation defense when major professor says that you are ready.
  • Note: Scheduling the defense is more difficult than you think.
  • Note: Final draft of all chapters needs to be submitted to committee members 2 weeks before the defense.
• Dissertation defense.
• Revise, revise, revise.
• Make appointment to deposit the one bound plus one unbound copy of the dissertation in the Library Thesis Deposit office, Room 279, Stewart Center. (The unbound copy will be sent to University Microfilms International for microfilming.) YOU NEED TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT TO DEPOSIT, call: 765-494-2905.
  • Note: There is a deadline each semester for dissertation deposit. Take it seriously.
• Deliver Thesis Receipt from deposit to Graduate School, 170 YONG. (Another deadline to take seriously.)

Graduation:

• Put on cap and gown and graduate! (Did you order cap and gown?)
  • Congratulations, Doctor!