Germanic Studies
Mailing Address: Department of Germanic
Studies, 601 South Morgan Street, MC 189, Chicago, IL 60607-
7115
Campus Location: 1524 UH
Curriculum Code: 7132
Admission Codes: 20FS1292MA (MA); 20FS1292PHD (PhD)
Telephone: (312) 996-3205
Email: german@uic.edu
Head of the Department: Astrida Tantillo
Director of Graduate Studies: Dagmar Lorenz
Graduate Advisor: Elizabeth Loentz
Admission Requirements
Degree Requirements: MA
Degree Requiremetns: PhD
The Department of Germanic Studies offers the Master of Arts degree in Germanic Studies. The Graduate program includes course work, teaching opportunities, professional activities, and the Doctor of Philosophy degree in Germanic Studies. Students may develop focal areas in the fields of
German literature, applied linguistics, film studies,
studies in Jewish
culture, gender studies, and German intellectual history.
Master’s students may choose an interdepartmental concentration in Jewish Studies, Gender and Women Studies, Second Language Teaching, and Central and Eastern European Studies.
Admission Requirements
see also
the Graduate Students Handbook
In addition to meeting the criteria for admission to the Graduate College (see Graduate College website), all applicants to the graduate program in Germanic Studies must present evidence of a substantial background in Germanic Studies and proficiency in written and spoken German.
Minimum requirements for degree-seeking applicants (full status):
- A baccalaureate or its equivalent, conferred by an approved and accredited college or university.
- Baccalaureate Field: No restrictions, although a substantial background in German literature or culture is expected, as is proficiency in written and spoken German.
- A cumulative GPA of at least 2.75 (out of 4.0) for the final 60 semester hours (90 quarter hours) of undergraduate study. At least 3.0/4.0 in all German courses.
All degree applications must include the following:
- Graduate College Application (apply online at http://www.uic.edu/depts/oar/grad/apply_grad.html)
- Three (3) letters of recommendation from persons familiar with the student’s academic work (sent to department directly). A form can be downloaded from the Graduate College website.
- Personal statement of approximately 250 words addressing the applicant’s academic purpose and goals (sent to department directly).
- Academic writing sample on a topic in German or related field (sent to department directly)
- Official transcripts, which must be sent directly from the issuing school to UIC's Office of Admissions and Records.
Additional information for international applicants:
- The website of the Office of Admissions and Records gives detailed information and explanations on specific requirements for all countries of origin (http://www.uic.edu/depts/oar/grad/international_requirements_grad.html) including:
- Postsecondary credentials, accompanied by certified English translation
- TOEFEL test scores (550 paper based, 213 computer based, 80 internet based) should be sent to UIC directly. UIC’s Institutional Code is 1851.
- Declaration and Certification of Finances form
Additional information for non-degree applicants:
- Only domestic applicants are allowed to apply as non-degree seeking students.
- Only an online application to the Graduate College and transcripts from the applicant’s baccalaureate institution (sent to department directly) are required.
GRE test scores are only required for students who intend to apply for University Fellowships. They should be sent directly from the testing service to UIC. The institutional code is 1851.
Applicants are encouraged to submit their application material as early as possible to ensure fullest consideration for scholarships and teaching assistantships.
Final Deadlines
|
Spring admission |
Fall admission |
Domestic applicant |
Recommended Oct 1
Final: Nov 1 |
Recommended March 15
Final: May 15 |
International applicant |
July 15 |
February 15 |
Non-degree applicant |
Nov 15 |
July 15 |
University Fellowship applicants need to apply by January 10 for fall admission. Also see: http://grad.uic.edu/cms/?pid=1000082
All applicants are encouraged to check up-to-date deadlines on the Graduate College website: http://grad.uic.edu/cms/?pid=1000489
According the Graduate College rules, students can be admitted as Full Status or Limited Status. Please see the Graduate College website for details. Students may also apply as non-degree students.
Non-degree graduate students interested in changing to degree status must submit a Graduate College Application. All application credentials must be on file before the change to degree status will be considered. The form and all credentials must be submitted by the degree application deadline.
No more than 12 semester hours of credit earned as a non-degree student can be transferred into the degree program. Students must file a petition for the transfer of non-degree credit; only graduate-level courses in which a grade of A or B was earned will be considered. (See Transfer Credit).
Admission to non-degree status does not obligate the Graduate College or any graduate program to later admit a student to a degree program.
In exceptional cases UIC undergraduates who are within 8 semester hours of completing the baccalaureate at the time of matriculation may be admitted to a graduate program. These students will be admitted on limited status for no more than two terms in residence, pending completion of the baccalaureate. Courses used to fulfill undergraduate degree requirements cannot be applied to a graduate degree. Applicants who are admitted to limited status pending completion of their bachelor's degree must be awarded the undergraduate degree within two terms in residence. If this condition is not satisfied, graduate admission is cancelled and the student is transferred back to the undergraduate college.
Doctoral candidates who have previously earned a master’s degree or its equivalent approved by one of the regional accreditation associations or by the agencies recognized by the Council on Post Secondary Education may be granted 32 semester hours of credit toward the doctoral degree if approved by the program and the Graduate College at the time of admission. The 32 hours are subtracted from the total hours required from the baccalaureate. The 32 hours are not counted toward the maximum allowed transfer credit limit or computed in the cumulative GPA or Degree GPA. A petition is not required.
d) Admission into PhD program: Change from Master’s to Doctoral Program with the Department
After a successful Master’s exam the departmental executive committee, based upon the MA committee’s recommendation on the academic and teaching record evaluates whether to recommend continuation in the PhD program. The student then may apply for a program change.
Students enrolled as master's candidates who intend to continue as doctoral students should apply for the master's-degree evaluation as soon as they have met all requirements for the degree, and must do so within the deadline for master's degree completion. If they have accumulated course credits beyond the required minimum for the master's, they may request that the Graduate College apply the excess credit to the doctorate. The student should fill out the Request for Change of Graduate Program Form and submit it to the department. If the program accepts the student as a doctoral candidate, the form should be forwarded to the Graduate College during the term in which the master's degree will be awarded for the change to be processed for the next term. The Request for Change of Graduate Program form must be received by the Graduate College no later than two weeks before the start of the term in which the student intends to begin doctoral studies.
At the time of the graduation evaluation for the master's degree, the program should submit a Petition for Transfer Credit for any courses not needed for the master's and which are to be used for the doctoral degree, if this was not previously done. These courses must meet program and Graduate College requirements for use toward the doctorate degree. All other courses taken while registered in the program will remain counted towards the master's program.
Admitted graduate students must register for courses during the term for which they are accepted (see below) or their admission will be invalidated. At the discretion of the graduate program, matriculation for degree students may be deferred up to, but not beyond, the same term in the succeeding year. Applications may be deferred only once, for a maximum of one year. Admitted degree applicants interested in deferring their matriculation should notify the Director of Graduate Studies of their desire to defer the term of entry.
Degree Requirements
see
also the Graduate Students Handbook
In addition to the Graduate College minimum requirements, students
must meet the following program requirements:
Master of Arts
1. Degree Program Deadlines
Master’s degree (minimum 32 hours): 5 years
Students who do not graduate by these deadlines will be dismissed from the Graduate College for failure to progress. Time spent on a leave of absence approved by the program and the Graduate College is not counted toward the degree time limit.
The Master of Arts degree program in Germanic Studies at the University of Illinois at Chicago is based on an interdisciplinary academic curriculum intended to develop critical analytical skills and conceptual abilities in the study of German literature and language.
The program encompasses course study, the writing of research papers, a written examination of three (3) hours or a written thesis approximately 35 to 50 pages in length, and an oral examination of 90 minutes. Upon successful completion of the program, students are expected to have
1) acquired an understanding of major currents in Germanic culture, literary, and intellectual history, as well as a knowledge of literary and cultural criticism;
2) developed an interdisciplinary area of specialization;
3) applied critical methodologies to literary and non-literary texts and films in coherent essay form;
4) demonstrated proficiency in written and spoken German;
5) applied the research tools and reference works, methods, and skills pertinent to research in the field of Germanic cultural and literary studies and Second Language Acquisition.
3. Departmental Concentrations
Germanic Literature
Germanic Culture
Film Studies
Jewish Cultural Studies
Minority Issues
Social Issues
Second Language Acquisition and Language Pedagogy
Students develop their individual focal areas from eligible courses in these and possibly other fields established by the department and by choosing courses pertaining to their field in consultation with the Director of Graduate Studies.
Master’s students may choose a graduate concentration in Jewish Studies, Gender and Women Studies, Second Language Teaching, and Central and Eastern European Studies.
The following coursework from courses offered by the Department is required for the Master's Degree in German Studies: At least 12 hours must be at the 500 level. GER 407 is required for students with a Teaching Assistantship.
Students supported financially have a minimum number of courses they must take within the department. TAs are required to take two courses in Germanic Studies each semester and Fellowship students are required to take three. In addition to those minimum courses, students may take courses in other departments (e.g., TAs may elect to take a third course in another department. No permission is needed to do so). The Department recognizes that there may be courses outside of the department that are essential to a student’s particular plan of study. Students who wish to substitute a course outside of the department and have it count as one of the departmental required courses must submit a petition to either the DGS, Graduate Advisor or Department Head. As a general rule, no more than two courses will be allowed (although exceptions will be made for students pursuing interdepartmental concentrations.)
A minimum of thirty-two (32) graduate credit hours is required to earn a Master's Degree in German Studies. Only 400- and 500- level courses can be applied to the graduate degree.
The Department follows the time limits specified by the Graduate College: 5 years for the Master's degree. Graduate Assistant support is typically allocated for two years of degree study.
8. Qualifying German Language Examination
Before a candidate is admitted to the MA examination, a German language examination must be passed. In cooperation with the Goethe Institute, the Goethe-Zertifikat C1 is administered to determine proficiency, and students must pass with the grade of "gut." Candidates must schedule the examination in advance of the semester in which they intend to take the M.A. examination. This proficiency examination will normally be waived for native speakers of German and may be waived in other special cases by the Director of Graduate Studies after consultation with the Director of the Language Program and appropriate other colleagues. Fees for the examination are paid by the candidates.
9. Timetable
Students who enter the program with a BA are expected to take the MA exam at the end of their second year of graduate study. Comprehensive Master's Examinations will not normally be scheduled during the summer semester.
MASTER’S DEGREE STUDY OPTIONS
A Master's Degree in Germanic Studies can be earned in the following way:
A Thesis with defense and examination
B Comprehensive Examination (written and oral).
Students interested in pursuing the thesis option should select a thesis advisor and two additional committee members by the end of the first year. (see below regarding selection and approval of committee). Students should then register with the Director of Graduate Studies for this option. A prospectus for a thesis has to be handed in to the thesis advisor before the student begins to write the thesis. Thesis students must earn at least 5 hours in thesis research. No more than 8 hours can be counted toward the degree.
The Master's Thesis is a scholarly, if small-scale, contribution to knowledge, 35-50 pages in length plus bibliography. In researching and writing a thesis students will be expected to demonstrate the same breadth of knowledge and the same ability to handle the tools of textual analysis demanded of those students who choose the comprehensive examination.
Information about the format of the thesis and abstract is available in the Graduate College. Students should consult the Graduate College’s Thesis Manual.
c) Deadlines
The thesis advisor customarily reads completed chapters first. After approval, individual chapters may be submitted to the other members of the committee for comments. The finished draft of the thesis is submitted to the readers four weeks prior to the oral exam. Readers will have two weeks time to request changes. The final version is to be handed in one week before the exam.
The Master's Examination for a student pursuing the thesis option will consist of an oral examination of approximately 90 minutes in length. The exam will consist of two parts: 1) A defense of the completed thesis, 2) A comprehensive part addressing major currents in Germanic culture, literature, intellectual history, and second language pedagogy. This portion will be based on the Individualized Germanic Studies MA Reading list (see below).
The thesis committee is appointed by the Dean of the Graduate College on the recommendation of the student’s department or program. A Committee Recommendation Form must be submitted to the Graduate College at least three weeks prior to the thesis defense and examination.
A majority of the committee must approve the thesis. A candidate cannot be passed if more than one vote of “fail” is reported. The Department Head or the Director of Graduate Studies will be required to sign the Certificate of Approval Form before a student is considered to have met all the requirements of the thesis.
If the vote is "pass", that degree requirement is now satisfied and the student may take the next step toward graduation. If the vote is "fail", the committee may recommend that the Dean permit a second defense. This second examination must be initiated by submission of a new Committee Recommendation form, even if there is no change in membership. A third defense will not be permitted.
A committee may recommend "pass - with specified conditions". If this does occur, the conditions must be specified on the Examination Report Form along with the name of a committee member who will monitor the fulfillment of any such conditions. This named person must then report to the Graduate College in a memo when conditions have been satisfied.
2. Option B: Comprehensive Examination
Students interested in the comprehensive examination option register with the Graduate Advisor for this option after identifying an MA examination advisor and two committee members. The advisor and the committee should be established by the end of the first year.
The reading list (see below) should be approved by the MA examination advisor and Director of Graduate Studies at the beginning of the second year of the M.A. program.
The Master’s Examination for a student who chooses to take the comprehensive written and oral exam (non-thesis option) will consist of a three-hour written portion consisting of 2 sections with at least 3 questions each. From these, one question is to be answered in each section. The 90-minute oral examination is to be scheduled not earlier than 3 days after the written examination. Section I of the written exam will be a more general question, Section II addresses a focal area developed by the student in consultation with the MA committee. The examination will be based on (a) the student’s coursework and (b) a personally designed and approved M.A. Reading List. Following successful completion of the three-hour written portion, there will be a 90-minute oral examination. Master's examinations will be given only once each semester.
Examinations should be typed on a word processor provided by the Department.
Students prepare for the Master’s Examination appropriately to demonstrate writing ability, interpretive skills, and historical and cultural competence.
The comprehensive MA examination is on a Pass/Fail basis. As soon after taking the Master's Examination as practicable, the committee advises the DGS in writing about the student’s performance. The DGS will notify the student in a formal written statement indicating whether s/he will be encouraged to continue studies toward a Ph.D. at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
The individualized German Studies MA Examination Reading List is a checklist of works that must be read by all MA students. Questions in the written and oral examination (during defense and comprehensive examination) will be based upon these works.
- The individualized reading list is to be prepared by each MA student.
- Guidance will be provided by the members of the MA examination committee.
- The list must be submitted to the chair of the examination committee or thesis committee by the beginning of the second year of study in our MA program.
- The list must be approved by the DGS and the chair of the student’s MA examination or thesis committee.
- A revision of the MA list is possible, if unexpected materials are studied in the courses subsequent to the submission of the Reading List.
In addition to works that represent the student’s focal area, the Germanic Studies MA Required Reading List Must Include Works of the Following Categories. Students should have approximately 50 works on their list.
- General Literary History
- Aufklärung
- Sturm und Drang; Klassik; Faust
- Romanticism, Kleist, Büchner
- 19th Century: (e.g., Vormärz/Biedermeier, Realism, Naturalism, etc.)
- Early 20th Century: (e.g., Jugendstil, Expressionism, Modernism, Neue Sachlichkeit, etc.) Kafka
- Rise of Fascism, Shoah
- 20th-21st Centuries: (e.g., National Socialism, Exile, Immediate Post-War, GDR, FRG, minority and transnational literature, Wende, post-reunification, etc.)
- Second Language Pedagogy: (e.g., focus on form, lexical development, receptive skills (listening and reading), productive skills (speaking and writing), computer assisted language learning, etc.)
Selected texts in the list should include novels; shorter narrative prose selections; poetry (either a selection of about 30 poems or a significant corpus of one author); theoretical texts; and drama, opera, multi-media or film. Yiddish-language texts may be included.
Master’s students who have completed all course credit requirements but have not yet completed a graduation requirement (e.g., thesis, or project, or comprehensive examination) are not required to register unless they hold a fellowship, assistantship or tuition and service-fee waiver.
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctorate with prior master’s degree (minimum 72 hours): 7 years
Doctorate without master’s degree (minimum 96 hours): 9 years
Students who do not graduate by these deadlines will be dismissed from the Graduate College for failure to progress. Time spent on a leave of absence approved by the program and the Graduate College is not counted toward the degree time limit.
The program for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Germanic Studies has as its aim a concentration and breadth of study designed to foster productive and independent scholarship. The Ph.D. program encompasses advanced course work, the writing of independent research papers on the seminar level, the successful completion of a written Candidacy Examination, followed by an oral examination of approximately two hours for admission to candidacy for the degree, and the presentation of a dissertation as a scholarly contribution to knowledge.
Each candidate for the Ph.D. is also required to demonstrate proficiency in written and spoken German as well as reading knowledge of two foreign languages other than German and English that are relevant to their plan of study.
72 beyond the master’s degree. The degree requires additional course work after the MA, the preliminary examination, the dissertation and a defense of the dissertation.
40 hours exclusive of credit for thesis research, with a minimum of 32 credits in Germanic Studies. Through consultation with an academic advisor, the student develops an individual program of study in literature, philosophy, linguistics, film studies, gender studies, social issues or Jewish cultural studies.
All students are required to complete:
Ger 407, Theoretical and Research Foundations of Communicative Language Teaching or its equivalent
Ger 599, Ph.D. Thesis Research
Students supported financially have a minimum number of courses they must take within the department. TAs are required to take two courses in Germanic Studies each semester and Fellowship students are required to take three. In addition to those minimum courses, students may take courses in other departments (e.g., TAs may elect to take a third course in another department. No permission is needed to do so). The Department recognizes that there may be courses outside of the department that are essential to a student’s particular plan of study. Students who wish to substitute a course outside of the department and have it count as one of the departmental required courses must submit a petition to either the DGS, Graduate Advisor or Department Head. As a general rule, no more than two courses will be allowed (although exceptions will be made for students pursuing interdepartmental concentrations.)
By the time of the dissertation defense, candidates must have taught the equivalent of three one-semester courses.
A reading knowledge of two research languages other than English and German, to be chosen in consultation with the Director of Graduate Study. The candidate must submit proficiency test results or final grades no less than B for specially designed courses for graduate students in his/her research languages prior to being admitted to the dissertation defense.
7. Language Proficiency in German
Students admitted to the Ph.D. program with an M.A. degree or its equivalent from another institution must complete the qualifying German language examination described above (p. 21) unless this requirement is waived by the Director of Graduate Studies.
X. PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION
- There is no Ph.D. reading list. As the test for admission to Ph.D. candidacy, the Preliminary Examination forms the penultimate stage in the progress of a student toward the Ph.D. It reflects the expectation of the Department that doctoral students both increase and deepen their general knowledge of Germanic literary and cultural history and Second Language Acquisition and also begin defining an area of specialized research as soon in their post M.A. work as possible.
The preliminary examination is generally administered during or near the end of the time the student has completed most, though not necessarily all, of the coursework, but has not made a major investment of time and effort towards the dissertation research project. A minimum of one year has to elapse before the defense of the dissertation after passing the preliminary examination. Only students in good academic standing are permitted to take the examination.
Students approaching the Doctoral Preliminary Examination select an advisor in consultation with the DGS no later than one semester before the examination. The advisor chairs the preliminary examination committee and he /she may be the same as the dissertation advisor.
The committee for the preliminary examination is appointed by the Dean of the Graduate College upon the recommendation of the department or program. The committee consists of at least five (5) members, of whom at least three (3) are UIC Graduate Faculty with full membership, and two (2) of whom must be tenured. The chair of the Committee must be a full member of the UIC Graduate Faculty. An outside member is recommended but not required.
The advisor and the Doctoral Preliminary Examination Committee are responsible for coordinating the preparation of both the written and oral portion of the Preliminary Examination. No less than one week prior to the examination, the advisor submits the written examination to the examination committee for final approval. The advisor is responsible for the conduct of the examination and for ensuring a comprehensive and balanced examination.
Doctoral candidates must be registered for credit the term when they take the preliminary exam. Students must also register each semester (excluding summer) after passing the preliminary examination and until successfully defending the dissertation. Students must register for the summer term if taking the preliminary exam or defending the dissertation during that term.
Each member of the examining committee assigns a grade of “pass” or “fail” on the Examination Report. A candidate cannot be passed with more than one “fail” vote. The committee may require that specific conditions be met before the “pass” recommendation becomes effective. The exact conditions and time-frame to complete the conditions must be specified on the Examination Report. For failed exams, on the recommendation of the committee, the head or chair may permit a second examination. A third examination is not permitted.
The Dean of the Graduate College appoints the committee upon receipt of the Committee Recommendation Form. The completed form must arrive in the Graduate College at least three (3) weeks prior to the date of the preliminary examination. Once the Graduate College approves the committee, an Examination Report form and cover letter is sent to the program to report the result. Changes to the committee may be requested before the exam occurs using the Request for Change in Thesis Title/Committee Member(s) Form.
The results of the examination should be submitted to the Graduate College within forty-eight (48) hours of the completion of the exam. If the result was "pass with conditions," the exact conditions and time-frame to complete the conditions must be specified on the Examination Report, and the chairperson must notify the Graduate College in writing as soon as the conditions have been completed. The Examination Report must be signed by all members of the Committee. Once the student has passed the examination, the Dean of the Graduate College will notify the student that s/he has been admitted to candidacy.
Students who do not complete the degree requirements within five (5) years of passing the preliminary examination must retake the examination. Combined programs leading to two degrees may require additional study beyond the period normally involved for completing requirements for the PhD degree; and may require an extension of the 5 year rule.
Part 1: A student wishing to take the Preliminary Examination is required, no later than three months before the proposed date of that test, to submit to her/his preliminary examination committee a list of research papers written originally for courses taken subsequent to the M.A. degree. The committee will choose a selection from these papers, and the student will submit clean copies of these papers. If the committee is not satisfied as to the breadth of general knowledge of Germanic literature and culture and/or Second Language Acquisition, a candidate will be required to submit further written work before being allowed to proceed to part 2. Upon successful completion of part 1, the student will proceed to parts 2 and 3.
Part 2: Based on the portfolio, the committee will give the student 5 exam questions (one per committee member), from which the student will select one. The student will have one week to write a paper of not more than 25 pages (including scholarly apparatus) on this question. The paper will be read by the entire committee.
Part 3: Once a student is considered to possess adequate knowledge of the field s/he submits to her/his committee a bibliography of her/his research area and a dissertation prospectus of approximately 10 pages. This prospectus should be handed in at least one week prior to the oral exam. Parts 2 and 3 may be completed concurrently. Upon successful completion of parts 2 and 3, the student will proceed to part 4.
Part 4: The oral examination is the final test in the process of determining a student’s ability to embark on the dissertation project. While the major focus of the examination is on the paper and the dissertation prospectus, it may also rightly include related questions of a more general nature. The committee vote is “pass” or “fail.” A candidate cannot be passed if more than one vote of “fail” is reported.
DISSERTATION
By researching and writing a dissertation, the student is expected to demonstrate a high level of knowledge and the ability to function as an independent scholar.
The dissertation advisor must be a full member of the UIC Graduate Faculty. The advisor is considered the primary reader of the dissertation. Upon successful completion of the Preliminary Examination, the student selects the advisor and states preferences for other Dissertation Committee members. Final selection is subject to the approval of the dissertation advisor and the DGS. The dissertation advisor chairs the Dissertation Committee.
The dissertation committee is appointed by the Dean of the Graduate College on the recommendation of the student's department or program. The defense committee consists of at least five persons, of whom one must be from outside their program. The chair of the committee must be a full member of the UIC graduate faculty. At least two members of the committee must be tenured faculty at UIC; at least one must be from outside the degree-granting program, which may include graduate faculty from other UIC. The outside member can also be from outside the University in which case the member must demonstrate equivalent academic standards; the member's curriculum vitae must accompany the Committee Recommendation form. A Committee Recommendation form must be submitted to the Graduate College at least three (3) weeks prior to the dissertation defense.
The Examination Report form is sent to the graduate program support person after the committee is approved by the Graduate College Dean. It should be filed in the student's folder so it is available when the examination is held and all committee members may sign. This form cannot be duplicated and changes cannot be made without prior approval of the Graduate College.
The candidate will meet with her/his dissertation committee in order to reach an understanding about dissertation content, research methods, and submission procedures.
A draft of a dissertation unit (or of the entire dissertation) may not be distributed to a candidate’s dissertation committee without the permission of the chair of the committee. All members of the committee must present to the candidate an oral and/or written evaluation of a dissertation chapter or complete draft within two weeks of its receipt. Members of the dissertation committee must be given at least four weeks before the defense to read and comment on a dissertation chapter or complete draft. Exceptions to the above are permissible only by unanimous agreement between the Dissertation Committee and the candidate.
DEFENSE
A minimum of one year has to elapse before the defense of the dissertation after passing the preliminary exam. The defense must be open to the academic community of the University and be publicly announced one week prior to its occurrence.
The committee vote is "pass" or "fail". A candidate cannot be passed if more than one vote of "fail" is reported. After the candidate's defense, the Examination Report form signed by all members of the committee must be submitted to the Graduate College immediately. Once the examination report is returned to the Graduate College, the results are posted to the student's record in the Graduate College. If the vote is "pass", that degree requirement is now satisfied and the student may take the next step toward graduation. If the vote is "fail", the committee may recommend that the Dean permit a second defense. This second examination must be initiated by submission of a new Committee Recommendation form, even if there is no change in membership. A third defense will not be permitted.
A committee may recommend "pass - with specified conditions". If this does occur, the conditions must be specified on the Examination Report Form along with the name of a committee member who will monitor the fulfillment of any such conditions. This named person must then report to the Graduate College in a memo when conditions have been satisfied.
The final version of the thesis, incorporating any changes deemed necessary by the committee, must conform to all requirements of the Graduate College. The format of the dissertation is specified in the Thesis Manual.
A clear photocopy of the final version, prepared at the departmental cost, is to be given to the Head of the Department for inclusion in the Departmental Library.
Deadlines. Two final, approved, and defended copies of the dissertation must be submitted to the Graduate College no later than the Graduate College deadline for that term. PhD candidates who successfully defend their dissertation and submit the final dissertation copy to the Graduate College after the deadline will graduate in the next term. Following the final examination and acceptance of the thesis, candidates must pay a fee for the publication of the complete dissertation and the publication of the abstract in Dissertation Abstracts. Consult the Thesis Manual for more information.
Students must be registered from the term the Preliminary Examination is taken through the term of a successful defense of the dissertation, excluding summers unless the Preliminary Examination or defense occur in a Summer term. If the defense will occur during the first official ten days of the term (first five days in Summer) and the student was registered the previous term (Summer term for a Fall defense), registration is not required. A defense after the first official ten days (first five days in Summer) of the term requires registration that term. If the student has a fellowship, assistantship and/or tuition waiver for the term, the student must be registered for the required hours or resign the award or assistantship. If the student is on a student visa, consult with the Office of International Services.
Students may petition for zero (0) hours once the preliminary exam is passed, assuming all requirements are completed except for the dissertation. See additional information on zero-hour registration in section V (p. 10).
Registration for terms after the term of a successful defense is not required if official graduation does not occur the term of the defense, unless the student is the recipient of a fellowship, assistantship and/or tuition and service-fee waiver, or is on a student visa.
Note for Student Visa Holders: Current SEVIS (federal immigration) regulations do not allow an international student on a student visa to register for more than zero (0) hours in a subsequent term, if the student was registered for zero (0) hours previously, unless the student is admitted into a different program. This precludes accepting an assistantship or tuition waiver for future terms after a zero-hour registration occurs. The rationale for the regulation is that zero-hour registration is allowed for students on a visa only if all requirements other than the thesis or master's project are completed, and registration for more than zero hours indicates that they did not originally qualify, and, are thus be out of status. Unfortunately, flexibility to take a course for intellectual development or to register for hours to qualify for an assistantship or tuition waiver after zero hour registration does not exist currently.
last
updated on
December 9, 2008
