Policies Related to Doctoral Degree Completion
Additional Language Requirements
Students preparing for additional language exams may enroll in the appropriate language courses. Arrangements also may be made with the Department of Modern Languages and Classics for a tutorial class. Either the Graduate School Foreign Language Test (GSFLT) or a reading translation may be taken by the candidate, as determined by the department concerned. Other means of demonstrating appropriate language competence may be permitted, with the approval of the department, the Department of Modern Languages and Classics or other appropriate academic unit, and the dean of the Graduate School. Material for this examination will be selected jointly by the chairperson of the concerned department and the Department of Modern Languages and Classics or other appropriate academic unit. A student may use a language dictionary during the examination and will be permitted a maximum of three attempts to pass the examination for each language.
If the examination facilities for a particular additional language are not available at Ball State University, the student will be examined by a cooperating institution or agency. Additional language proficiency established at other institutions will be accepted by Ball State University if the proficiency is approved by the program director, the chairperson of either the Department of Modern Languages and Classics or other appropriate academic unit, and the dean of the Graduate School. If the student’s committee chairperson has been appointed at the time the request for acceptance of additional language proficiency is being evaluated, the approval of the committee chairperson will also be necessary.
If the additional language Concentration is being followed, students must successfully complete the examination in one language by the time they complete one half of the Ball State University courses prescribed for their degree programs. The examination for the additional language, if any, must be successfully completed before the student will be permitted to take the comprehensive examinations.
A doctoral student may enroll in DOC 700 prior to admission to candidacy under special circumstances when not registered for regular graduate course work. DOC 700 is a 0-credit course at a fee of $75 that gives the student all the rights and privileges of a regular student. Registration in DOC 700 requires the approval of the student’s committee chairperson, the departmental doctoral program director, and the dean of the Graduate School. Registration for DOC 700 is limited to any two academic year semesters.
Residence, Transfer, and Extension Work
There is no Graduate School residency requirement for doctoral students at Ball State University. However, individual programs may have a residency requirement to encourage doctoral students to focus on course work or research. It permits close collaboration with faculty and students; it fosters a familiarity with the university’s libraries, computing resources, specialized collections, and other unique campus facilities.