2019-2020 Graduate Catalog

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Selective Retention

Satisfactory Graduate Grade-Point Average (GPA)

At all times after completing 9 credits of doctoral study, a student must maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 3.2 for courses taken toward the doctoral degree.

Probationary Status

A student will be placed on academic probation if his or her cumulative GPA for courses taken toward the doctoral degree falls below 3.2 at any time after completion of 9 credits. Probationary status will be removed if a student, in completing the next 9 credits, brings the cumulative GPA to at least 3.2 for all course work toward the doctoral degree. If probationary status is not removed, a student’s admission to graduate study will be canceled, and additional graduate study will not be possible until the student has reapplied for regular admission and has been readmitted.

Readmission Procedure

A student seeking readmission must present to the dean of the Graduate School a written request approved by the doctoral program director and the chairperson of the major department. The decision to readmit will be made by the dean of the Graduate School.

Readmission Status

Upon readmission, the student will be reinstated to the classification held when graduate study was cancelled.

Time Allowed for the Doctoral Degree

It is important that doctoral students be current in their fields of study when they graduate. Therefore, after a student has been admitted to a doctoral program and has taken at least one approved course, all requirements for the degree must be met within a seven-year period. Any courses required for the degree taken before admission to a doctoral program are subject to approval by a student’s doctoral committee. Evidence of current knowledge in the area may be required. Upon the recommendation of the department chairperson and with the approval of the graduate dean, an extension of the time allowed may be granted for one additional year. In rare cases, an additional one-year extension may be granted, provided the student can demonstrate significant progress on the dissertation. Extensions are based on academic considerations and are limited. The student requesting the extension of time allowed may be required to repeat preliminary examinations, to take additional course work, or both.

Comprehensive Examinations

Near the time course work is completed, each doctoral degree student will take a comprehensive examination in his or her major and cognate area(s), if applicable. Administration and evaluation of the examinations are the responsibility of the department or, at the discretion of the department, a student’s doctoral committee, hereafter referred to as the examining committee. The examining committee will determine with the student, well in advance of the examination, the course work and other preparation appropriate to the student’s program of study to be represented in the examination. The examinations will be offered each academic semester, the time and place to be determined by the administering department or academic unit.

While the departments and academic units that house each doctoral program will determine the comprehensive examination format that is most appropriate for each respective discipline, all comprehensive examinations must meet the following general guidelines:

  • A student must be in good academic standing to sit for the examinations. Good academic standing means that a student cannot be on academic probation and must have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.2.

  • The comprehensive exam is one examination consisting of two parts, one written and one oral.

  • The written examination will be taken during one week; exceptions must be approved by the program director and the student’s doctoral committee. The oral examination will be taken within three weeks (exclusive of vacation periods) of the written examination.

  • The examining committee will be made up of a minimum of four members with full graduate faculty membership and will evaluate the student’s performance. The examining committee will decide if the student’s written examination is of sufficient quality to proceed to the oral examination. All committee members responsible for the oral portion of the examination must participate in the orals unless excused in advance by the graduate dean.

  • After completion of the orals, the committee decision for the entire examination will be either “pass” or “fail.” A student may pass the entire examination with one dissenting vote. However, if two or more committee members dissent, the student fails the entire examination.

  • The examining committee chairperson will send written notification of the outcome of the comprehensives to the student and the dean of the Graduate School after the completion of the orals.

  • In the case of a failed comprehensive examination (see definitions below), the examining committee chairperson’s written notification will include a statement of the reason or reasons for the failure and the time specified before the next examination.

  • A failed comprehensive examination is defined as one of the following:  1) failure of both the written and oral portions; 2) failure of the written portion if the examining committee determines that the student should not proceed to the orals; or, 3) failure of the oral portion if the examining committee determines that the student was unable to correct deficiencies in the written portion. If the student meets any of the definitions of a failed exam, the entire exam (both written and oral portions) must be repeated.

  • A failed comprehensive examination may be repeated only one time. The committee members who administered the first examination will also administer the retest.

  • A student who fails to pass the second examination is ineligible to continue and is dismissed from the doctoral program.

  • If more than seven years have elapsed after the student successfully completed the comprehensive examinations, the student must retake the entire examination.

Exceptions to the above guidelines must be approved in advance by the dean of the Graduate School.

Dissertation

The general supervision of the dissertation will be the responsibility of the student’s committee chairperson. When needed, members of the committee will advise the candidate about the dissertation. The comprehensive examinations must be passed and the dissertation topic approved by the committee before the student enrolls for dissertation (DISS 799). The dissertation for a doctor of education degree candidate typically will be a study that will contribute to the solution of some important educational problem. The dissertation for a doctor of philosophy degree candidate will be a research problem that will contribute new knowledge or a new technique. The dissertation for the doctor of arts degree candidate may take the form of an original contribution to new knowledge; the production and use of innovative teaching materials such as the development of new teaching media, the writing of a textbook, or the designing of a curriculum or course of study; or the writing of a series of scholarly papers worthy of publication.

After the dissertation defense, the final approved copy, any accompanying materials, and an abstract (250-300 words in length, suitable for publication) must be filed with the Graduate School electronically. Although the department concerned has the responsibility for determining the manual or form to be followed in writing the dissertation, such matters as typeface, spacing, and professional typing standards must follow the specifications in Graduate School Requirements for Writing a Dissertation, available online and in the Graduate School office.

Final Dissertation Defense

All candidates for the doctoral degree are required to complete successfully an oral defense covering the dissertation, in defensible, final form, administered by their doctoral committee. The time and place of the defense will be announced at least 10 days in advance. All committee members must be supplied a copy of the dissertation well in advance of the scheduled defense to allow adequate time to review the final product. This deadline will be determined by the committee. No defense will be given without all committee members present, unless prior consent is granted by the graduate dean in consultation with the chairperson of the examining committee and the absent committee member.

Two dissenting votes among members of the examining committee are required to fail a candidate. If one member of the examining committee dissents, the dissenting examiner and, if appropriate, the chairperson of the examining committee will file with the dean of the Graduate School a letter detailing the circumstances of the dissent.

If the candidate has failed the defense, the examining committee must prepare a report including reasons for failure and requirements to be met. The examining committee chairperson must file this report with the dean of the Graduate School within seven days from the date of the defense. Permission to defend for a second time must be obtained from the chairperson of the doctoral committee and the dean of the Graduate School. Failure to pass the second defense will result in termination of doctoral study.

Upon passing the final dissertation defense, the candidate will be formally recommended to receive the degree. Candidates must complete all degree requirements at least four weeks before the end of the semester or term in which they are certified for graduation.

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