Doctoral Program Information

Important Documents for Doctoral Students

• Doctoral Program Requirements and Procedures required reading for all doctoral students- doctoral timeline, registration and graduation requirements, etc. 
• COE Dissertation Proposal and Defense Guidelines step by step guide and instructions from dissertation committee formation through to post defense/graduation. Please read this prior to initiating any of the forms below. 
• Dissertation Timeline Infographic visual representation and timeline of dissertation process from pre-proposal to graduation
• Guidelines for the Preparation and Submission of Doctoral Dissertation and Master’s Thesis University general formatting rules
• COE Dissertation Award Process University annual dissertation awards

Dissertation Forms

Please read before initiating forms: In order to ensure the following DocuSign forms are routed and signed in a timely manner, it is important to review the instructions and DocuSign tips provided in the "COE Dissertation Proposal and Defense Guidelines" document referenced above. If you have any questions, please reach out to your program coordinator or advisor. 

Committee Formation Stage

• Doctoral (Special) Committee Approval Form (Docusign). This form is completed at least two weeks prior to proposal defense and used to document the special committee or a change to a formed committee. See sample form here.

Proposal Stage

After a successful proposal defense, the following forms are completed in this order:

• Program of Study Form (Docusign): Once the form is completely signed by your committee, it is attached to the DocuSign form below "Application to Candidacy for the Doctorate". See sample form here.
• Application to Candidacy for the Doctorate Form (Docusign): This form is approved by the Department Chair. See sample form here.

Pre-Defense Stage

• Dissertation Draft Approval Form (Docusign): This form should be completed prior to the deadline noted on the Academic calendar and is routed and signed by the dissertation committee and submitted to the Dean's Office. See sample form here.

Post-Defense Stage

• Report on the Doctoral Dissertation Defense Form (Docusign) This form is completed and submitted immediately post defense and signed by the dissertation committee for signature. See sample form here.
• Dissertation Signature Sheet (Docusign) This form is completed after revisions are made to the dissertation following the defense and signed by the dissertation committee 5 business days prior to the university deadline to ensure enough time for processing. See sample form here.

Preparing for Graduation

To plan for timely completion of dissertation defense and final graduation paperwork, please be aware of the University and College* deadlines. 

The University deadlines are listed on the Academic Calendar in the semester of graduation: 

- Deadline to apply for graduation (all doctoral students must apply to graduate)

- Last day for doctoral candidates to deliver dissertation draft to Graduate Programs Office (College of Education Dean's Office)

- *Last day for doctoral candidates to upload dissertations and deliver final paperwork to RAS

*College deadlines will be 5 business days prior to the University deadlines, as noted in the "Dissertation Proposal and Defense Guidelines" and "Dissertation Timeline Infographic"

Students may pay their fees in the Marketplace under Registration & Academic Services. This space is available for both Thesis and Dissertation.