PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS FOR THE PH.D.

IN
ENGLISH (Revised September 2023)
The requirements for the Ph.D. degree in English include the following:
I. 42 Hours of Credit
Each student must have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.5 on the total number of graduate
credit hours appearing on the transcript after completion of the M.A. and at the time of the
candidacy exams. According to Graduate School policy, each student must receive an
Annual Graduate Student Academic Review from the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS)
at the end of each spring semester. If a student’s GPA were to drop below the required
minimum of 3.5, receive an “I” in a course that was still ungraded by the end of spring
semester, or not complete their degree by time to degree (seven years), the Academic Review
form would indicate that the student is not making satisfactory progress, and the student
should contact the DGS immediately to discuss their status in the program.

A. 24 hours of graduate course work fulfilling the following requirements

1. At least 1 course emphasizing theory

2. At least 4 seminars, one of which should be in the student’s area of specialization
Note: English 5003/Composition Pedagogy and any deficiency course(s) that the English
Department may require of a student can count toward the 24-hour course work
requirement.
Note: A student may take up to six hours of graduate course work in other departments.
B. 18 Dissertation hours
II. Candidacy Exams
A. Written exam in broad area of specialization (72 hours, 2-3 essay responses,
approximately 30 pages)

B. Oral exam on a topic within area of specialization and related to student’s dissertation
plans
1. Defense of 20-25 page paper (submitted to one’s committee prior to exam)
2. Review and discussion of a reading list (submitted to one’s committee prior to exam)

III. Approval of Dissertation Prospectus (if not already approved at time of oral candidacy exam)
and Defense of Dissertation
IV. Foreign Language Requirement
A. Non-Medievalists: Documentation of reading proficiency in a foreign language

B. Medievalists: Documentation of reading proficiency in one modern foreign language as

well as Latin, Old English, and Middle English

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Focused Study in Rhetoric and Composition (This option is for doctoral students who are
not specializing in Rhetoric and Composition and not writing a dissertation in that area.)

The program requirements for the Ph.D. in English with a field of focused study in Rhetoric and
Composition are the same as those for the regular Ph.D. program except that these students must
also

1) take English 5003/Composition Pedagogy; English 5973 or English 6973; and an

additional graduate-level course in Rhetoric and Composition approved by the Director
of Composition

Note: These courses may overlap with the courses used to fulfill the Ph.D. program
requirements.

2) teach five of the following writing courses in any of the following combinations:
• 3 from column A and 2 from column B
• 2 from column A and 3 from column B
• 2 from column A, 2 from column B, and 1 from column C
A B C
ENGL 0002 ENGL 2003 ENGL 2013
ENGL 0013 ENGL 1033 ENGL 2023
ENGL 1013 ENGL 3053 ENGL 3013
ENGL 1023

3) earn 10 professional development points from the Program in Rhetoric and Composition
(PRC) by engaging in any combination of the following activities:
• Presenting research at any Rhetoric and Composition conference (3 points)
• Organizing or leading a PRC workshop (2 points)
• Participating in a PRC workshop (1 point)
• Coordinating a PRC course or project (3 points)

Graduate Internships in English

Doctoral students are encouraged to complete a graduate internship for credit by registering to
take ENGL 5193: Graduate Internship in English (3 hours), which can count for one non-
seminar elective course. The student may intern with either an on-campus office/department or a
local business, non-profit organization, school, etc. The student may wish to collaborate with the
DGS or Assistant DGS to set up the internship, and the DGS will have to approve the internship
before requesting that the main department office register the student for ENGL 5193.
A graduate student should choose an internship that aligns in some way with their scholarly
and/or professional interests, or that allows them to explore new or diverse career opportunities.
The internship can be non-academic in nature.

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An internship can greatly benefit a graduate student by

• allowing for a student’s further development of specific professional skills (e.g.,

researching, publishing, editing, copywriting, technical writing, graphic design, social
media outreach, marketing, corporate or non-profit communications, university
administration, library management, public presentations, etc.);
• offering a student the opportunity to apply his or her research or program knowledge
within a professional context;
• allowing a student to explore diverse career options;
• allowing a student to network beyond the department or off campus; and/or
• allowing a student to enhance his or her job market materials (resume, CV, cover letter,
etc.).

Below is a list of organizations or businesses with whom students might currently be able to
intern. Availability of these internships may change from one semester to the next. In addition,
students can request that the DGS approve other types of internship opportunities.

Affirma Consulting University of Arkansas Press

Art Ventures NWA The Writers' Colony at Dairy Hollow
Bookish: An Indie Shop for Folks Who Read The Writing Studio (Student Success Center)
Business Communication Lab (WCOB)
Civil + Structural Engineer Media
Magdalene Serenity House
Ozark Natural Science Center

*This year's internship speaker panel will be Wed., 10/11/23 (Time and Location: TBD)

Graduate Student Appeal Process: Any Ph.D. student who is notified that he or she is
being dismissed from the graduate program due to inadequate progress toward his or her
degree has the right to appeal such a decision. The process for appealing is as follows:
1. The student may contact the Director of Graduate Studies to determine whether
the student can take further steps to avoid being dismissed from the program.

2. If the Director of Graduate Studies advises the student that the student can take
no further steps to remain in the program, the student may appeal this decision to
the Department Chair.

3. If the Department Chair advises the student that the student can take no further
steps to remain in the program, the student may appeal this decision to the
Academic Appeals Committee of the Graduate Council through the graduate
student academic grievance process.

If the Graduate Council advises the student that the student can take no further steps to
remain in the program, the student will be dismissed from the program.

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 RECOMMENDED TIMELINE

At the beginning of your Ph.D. program, perhaps even during the summer before you start, you
will meet with the DGS to discuss your course schedule for the fall semester and again, a few
months later, to discuss your course schedule for the spring semester. You must continue to meet
with the DGS every subsequent semester of your program to receive further advising and to
make sure that the paperwork documenting your completion of program requirements is up to
date. Otherwise, when you apply to graduate, the DGS may not be able to sign off on the
Graduate School forms that ask whether you have completed all of your requirements.

Note to Doctoral Fellows: Vicky Hartwell, at the Graduate School, has already sent to you
information about your doctoral fellowship. Please make sure to read this very carefully. In
addition, if you are planning to take out loans, including federal loans, carefully note information
Vicky has provided you on that topic. Your acceptance of federal loans can have an impact on
the total amount of fellowship stipend you can receive each semester.
I. First Year
A. Fall Semester
Take 2-3 courses that fulfill program requirements. If you are a new teaching assistant,
you will have to enroll in English 5003/Composition Pedagogy, which will fulfill one of
your non-seminar course requirements. It is recommended that you also register for 1 of
your 4 seminars. (In the course descriptions, seminars have course numbers at the 6000
level.) You should likewise consider completing your theory course requirement early in
the program (perhaps in your first semester) so that you can apply that theoretical
knowledge to subsequent course work and study. (In the course descriptions, courses
fulfilling this requirement have been given an advisory code of “T.”)

B. January Intersession / Spring Semester

Take 2-3 courses that fulfill program requirements. It is recommended that at least one of
these courses be a seminar.

Foreign Language Requirement: For your English Ph.D. program, you will need to
demonstrate a reading knowledge of a language other than English that is relevant to your
area of study. Ancient Greek, Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Latin,
Russian, and Spanish are normally acceptable choices to meet the Foreign Language
Requirement, although other languages may be used with the approval of the DGS.

Reading knowledge may be demonstrated in one of the following ways, two of which do
not entail course work:
a. Pass a reading proficiency course taught by the Department of World Languages,
Literatures and Cultures and designed to fulfill the graduate-level Foreign Language
Requirement. You may also fulfill the Foreign Language Requirement by enrolling
in one or two of Dr. Josh Smith’s language courses, like Old High German, Old
French, Medieval Latin, Middle Welsh, the 2-course sequence of Old English (both
courses must be taken to fulfill the requirement)—but not Middle English or Intro to
Germanic Languages. (Dr. Smith's language courses can also fulfill a Medieval
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 distribution course requirement or an elective course requirement for a student's
English M.A. program.)
b. Pass an individual exam administered by a faculty member from the Department of
World Languages, Literatures and Cultures (or another department on campus
approved by the DGS) who is qualified to evaluate reading proficiency in the language
you have chosen.
c. Pass with a “B” or better an upper-level undergraduate course offered by the World
Languages, Literatures and Cultures Department (or a similar department at another
college or university) and taught in the language you have chosen. Note: If the course
was taken before the student started the M.A. program, it needs to have been
completed within the two years preceding the student’s starting the M.A. program.
d. Present official documentation showing that the language you have chosen is your
native language and that you are already fluent in it.
C. May Intersession / Summer Semester
1. Since you do not have guaranteed funding over the summer semester, you are not
required to register for course work during the summer. If you wish, you may apply
for a summer teaching assistant position. If you are awarded a summer teaching
assistant position, you will have to teach one 3-hour course and enroll in 3-6 hours of
course work (for the May Intersession and/or Summer Session), for which your
tuition will be waived. Note, though, that few English graduate students who have
teaching assistantships during fall and spring semesters are awarded assistantships
over the summer because of the limited number of assistantships that are available at
that time.
2. It is recommended that you use the summer to begin making notes and organizing a
reading list in preparation for enrolling in Readings hours some time in the second
year of your program. Students enroll in Readings hours with members of their
Advisory Committee to prepare for their doctoral candidacy exams. Summer is also
a good time to attend professionalization events (like conferences) and to pursue paid
or voluntary internship opportunities either on or off campus.
3. Finally, before the end of the summer of your first year, you should try to decide upon
a broad area of specialization and notify the DGS so that he or she can better advise
you regarding related course work and faculty research interests. A list of areas of
specialization is provided below. Students may also propose and seek approval for
specializing in a combination of these areas or even other areas that are not listed.

• 19th-Century British Literature and Culture

• African American Literature and Culture
• American Literature and Culture before 1900
• American Multiculturalism
• Arab American Literature and Culture
• Asian American Literature and Culture
• Criticism and Literary Theory
• Environmental Literature, Writing, and Culture
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 • Film and Media
• Gender, Sexuality, and Literature
• Literary History
• Literature and Culture of the American South
• Medieval Literature and Culture
• Modern and Contemporary American Literature and Culture
• Modern and Contemporary British Literature and Culture
• Native American Literature and Culture
• Popular Culture and Popular Genres
• Postcolonial Literature and Culture
• Religion and Literature
• Renaissance Literature and Culture
• Restoration and 18th-Century Literature and Culture
• Rhetoric, Composition, and Literacy
• Technical Writing and Public Rhetorics
• U.S. Latino/Latina Literature and Culture
• U.S. Regional Literature
• World Literature and Culture in English

II. Second Year

A. August Intersession / Fall Semester
Take 2-3 courses that fulfill program requirements. (Some students may be in a position to
begin taking readings hours this semester to start preparing for their written candidacy exam.)
B. January Intersession / Spring Semester
1. Take 2-3 courses that fulfill program requirements. If this is your last semester of
course work, make sure that, by the end of this semester, you have completed 24
hours of course work at the 5000 level or above, including 4 seminars at the 6000
level and a course focusing upon theory.

2. Consult with the DGS to choose your Advisory Committee Chair (preferably, a
faculty member in your field from whom you have already taken a course) and then
ask that person if he or she would be willing and able to serve on your committee.
After consulting with your Advisory Committee Chair and the DGS, ask two other
departmental faculty members to serve on your Advisory Committee.
Note: These committee members are technically appointed by the DGS, so you must
discuss your choices with him or her. Furthermore, when you consult with the DGS,
he or she can offer you advice about which professors are already over-booked, which
ones would make good second and third readers for your project, and so on.

C. May Intersession / Summer Semester

If you have been awarded a summer teaching assistantship (again, there are only a
few available), continue registering for Readings hours. Use the summer to make
progress on preparing for your doctoral candidacy exams, which you should plan to

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 complete in your third year of the program. You may also want to use the summer to
continue participating in professional activities and/or interning.

III. Third Year

A. August Intersession / Fall Semester
1. If you have completed all course work requirements, enroll in Readings hours with
your Advisory Committee Chair and use this semester to prepare for and take the
written exam, which is the first of your two candidacy exams. This will be a 72-hour
take-home exam offering you 3-4 questions in your broad area of specialization, and
you will respond to 2-3 of these questions in a document not exceeding 30 pages.

2. As you begin preparing for your written exam, submit the Doctoral Committee
Form to the DGS. Go to https://graduate-and-
international.uark.edu/_resources/forms/doctoral-committee.pdf and print the
Doctoral Committee Form. Fill in the top portion of the form, add your signature,
print the names of your committee members, and collect the requisite signatures from
them. If you already know that the same faculty members will be serving on both
your Advisory Committee and your Dissertation Committee (which is typically the
case), check the last box to indicate that the faculty members will be serving on both
committees. (Most Ph.D. students have the same faculty members serve on both
committees.) Take the form to the DGS’s office. The DGS will sign for the
department chair and forward the original Doctoral Committee Form to the
Graduate School. A copy will go in your student file folder in the DGS’s office.

Work with your Advisory Committee to 1) develop a reading list for your written
exam and 2) confirm the exam format.

Note: Because your written exam reading list should be useful to you both in writing
your dissertation and in establishing your broad area of specialization, your
committee will almost certainly require that your list include a large number of
secondary sources and reflect a reasonable amount of breadth.

3. If you intend to take the written exam before the end of fall semester, contact your
Advisory Committee members early in the semester to set a tentative exam date; they
will need time to prepare the exam questions.

4. Take the exam and then request that your Advisory Committee Chair e-mail the DGS
with the results.

B. January Intersession / Spring Semester

1. If you have completed the course work requirements but not yet taken your written
exam, register for Readings hours with your Advisory Committee Chair to continue
preparing for your written exam.
2. If you have passed your written exam, register for Readings hours with your Advisory
Committee Chair or another member of your Advisory Committee to begin preparing
for your oral exam, which is the second of your two candidacy exams. This will be a
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 face-to-face exam of approximately 1-2 hours, covering a paper and a reading list
related to your dissertation plans.

3. Consult with all of your Advisory Committee members early in the semester to
schedule the day on which your Advisory Committee will administer the exam and to
confirm the expected format of your paper and reading list.

4. Then, later in the semester, you must do the following before taking the oral exam:

a. Submit a 20- to 25-page paper, which will be reviewed and discussed during
the exam, to your Advisory Committee members after consulting with them
about the expected format and content of that document. Advisory
Committees typically recommend that students use this paper to develop a
Dissertation Prospectus. Approval of this document by your Dissertation
Committee will indicate your officially being allowed to begin writing your
dissertation. For a general description of a Prospectus, see the document
“Guidelines for M.A. Thesis and Ph.D. Dissertation Prospectuses”
(http://fulbright.uark.edu/departments/english/_resources/graduate/ma-phd-
english/guidelines-ma-thesis-phd-dissertation-prospectuses.pdf), located on the
English Department website.

b. Submit a reading list, which will also be reviewed and discussed during the
exam, to your Advisory Committee. The sources on this list should be
related to your broad area of specialization and include texts likely to be used
in your dissertation. This list may be a modification of the one used during
your written exam.

Note: While you do not need to read all of the works on your reading list in their
entirety before the exam, you should be prepared to discuss why you believe each
of them will be useful to your dissertation project.

c. Print a copy of the Candidacy Exam Notification Form at http://graduate-

and- international.uark.edu/_resources/forms/candidacy-exam-notice.pdf
and take it with you to your oral exam.
5. Meet with your Advisory Committee at the scheduled time to take the oral exam over
your paper and reading list.
6. After passing your oral exam, have your Advisory Committee Chair fill out the
Candidacy Exam Notification Form, which will indicate your successful conclusion
of the candidacy exam process. Then, take that form and a copy of your Prospectus
(if you use the oral exam to defend your Prospectus, which is typically the case) to
the DGS’s office. The DGS will forward the original Candidacy Exam Notification
Form to the Graduate School, and a copy of the form (along with a copy of your
Prospectus, if that has also been submitted) will go in your student file folder in the
DGS’s office.
7. **PLEASE NOTE**: In order to be approved for a 1-1 teaching position + RA
position for your fourth year (see the 4th Year section of the timeline for more details),
doctoral students will need to have taken and passed their written candidacy exam by
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 no later than March 1st. Students who have not done so will need to have their 1-1
teaching position + RA position status postponed for one or more semesters.

C. May Intersession / Summer Semester

Yet again, be strategic with your summer. If you have been awarded a summer teaching
assistantship, continue registering for Readings hours (to wrap up your candidacy exams)
or (if you are done with your candidacy exams) begin registering for Dissertation hours.
**NOTE: Doctoral students who have passed their written candidacy exam by March 1st
should try to complete their oral exam by no later than the beginning of the subsequent
fall semester so that they use their 1-1 teaching/RA year to write their dissertation.

IV. Fourth Year through Dissertation Defense

Only after you have passed both your written and oral candidacy exams should you begin
registering for Dissertation hours. After passing the exams, you have to register for at least
one Dissertation hour every fall semester and every spring semester (but not over the
summer), and you have to take at least 18 Dissertation hours to complete the degree. If you
have a teaching assistantship, however, you will have to continue registering for at least 6
credit hours during both the fall semester and the spring semester.

Teaching assistants typically teach two classes in the fall and two in the spring. However, Ph.D.
students can apply for a fourth-year research assistantship if the written candidacy exam has
been completed by the previous March 1st (or by Oct. 1st to start the 4th-year 1-1 teaching/RA
year in the spring of the fourth year).

Fellowships last four years, and teaching assistantships typically last four years.

If necessary, you may apply for, but are not guaranteed, a fifth year of assistantship (but not a
fifth year of fellowship through the Graduate School).
While you may try to complete and defend your dissertation during the fourth year of your
program, be aware that many students defend their dissertations in their fifth year. If you do
go beyond four years to complete your degree, still plan to complete your dissertation in no
more than five or six years so that the research you conduct in your area of specialization and
for your dissertation remains current through the time of your job search.
Note: A student who does not complete their degree within the seven years allowed by the
Graduate School must apply for an extension and may have to take additional courses to
show that their research within, and knowledge of, the area of study is current. Extensions
are not guaranteed, and the Graduate School may dismiss a student who continues to apply
for extensions.

The following schedule may take 1-2 years to complete.

A. Once you pass your exams and defend your Prospectus, you should choose your
Dissertation Committee Chair and the two other members of your Dissertation
Committee. These are often the same faculty members who served on your Advisory
Committee, although they do not have to be. However, if you choose to change the
structure of your committee, print a second copy of the Doctoral Committee Form

9
 (http://graduate-and-international.uark.edu/_resources/forms/doctoral-committee.pdf),
update your committee information, and collect the requisite signatures from your new
committee members before you submit the form to the DGS’s office. The DGS will
forward the original version of that new committee form to the Graduate School and put a
copy in your student file folder in the DGS’s office.
B. If you know the title of your dissertation, go to https://graduate-and-
international.uark.edu/_resources/forms/td-title.pdf and print the Doctoral Dissertation
Title Form. Before giving the form to the DGS, fill in the top portion, get the signature
of your Dissertation Committee Chair, and, if applicable, check the IRB box for human
subjects. The DGS will forward the original version of that form to the Graduate School
and put a copy in your student file folder. Even if you do not decide on your dissertation
title until later in the semester, try to submit this form at least a month in advance of your
dissertation defense in order to help the Graduate School staff with processing the vast
amount of paperwork they have to collect.

C. Enroll in Dissertation hours with your Dissertation Committee Chair after you have
passed your oral candidacy exam. (Again, before being allowed to graduate, you will
have to have taken at least 18 Dissertation hours.)
D. Begin working on your dissertation, using your fourth year to complete a draft of most, if
not all, of your dissertation. Although your Dissertation Committee Chair will normally
read full chapters (not sketches or disconnected paragraphs) as you produce them, the
other two members of your committee may well wait and read the whole dissertation
after your chair has approved it tentatively and after you’ve appended your bibliography.
Be aware, too, that second and third readers sometimes make a minimum of written
comments, saving most of their comments for the dissertation defense. Ask your chair
and the other committee members what they prefer.
Allow your committee members enough time to give you feedback—at least two weeks
for your chair to comment on each chapter and three weeks for your second and third
readers to read and comment on the entire dissertation. As you receive feedback, revise
your chapters immediately so that you can resubmit them to your chair in a prompt
manner.
E. When your Dissertation Committee Chair feels you are ready, schedule your defense with
the full committee and reserve a room for the defense by contacting the main Department
of English office.
F. Apply to graduate through the Registrar’s Office by accessing your UAConnect
account, clicking first on “My Academics” (within the “Academics” section of the page)
and then on “Apply for graduation.” Follow the directions given. You must apply to
graduate by the deadline listed on the Graduate School’s Graduation Checklist: July 1 for
August diploma, October 1 for December diploma, and March 1 for May diploma.
(Because of the possibility of one or more of the above dates changing, always confirm a
particular semester’s deadline to apply to graduate by going to http://graduate-and-
international.uark.edu/graduate/current-students/commencement-graduation.php.)
G. Print and review thoroughly the Guide for Preparing Theses and Dissertations
available at https://graduate-and-international.uark.edu/_resources/forms/thesis-

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 dissertation-guide.pdf so that you understand all of the Graduate School’s specifications
for formatting your dissertation before submitting it.
H. AT LEAST 2 WEEKS BEFORE DEFENDING YOUR DISSERTATION, fill out and
submit a Dissertation Defense Announcement Form (http://graduate-and-
international.uark.edu/graduate/current-students/dissertation-defense-form.php) to the
Graduate School so that your dissertation defense is announced on the Graduate School’s
website.

I. AT LEAST 2 WEEKS BEFORE THE GRADUATE SCHOOL’S FINAL SUBMISSION

DEADLINE, submit a preliminary copy of your dissertation to the Graduate School for a
Pre-Check of your formatting. (To determine the submission deadline, check the
semester’s Graduation Checklist, accessible at http://graduate-and-
international.uark.edu/graduate/current-students/commencement-graduation.php.)
Further instructions for completing the Pre-Check process can be found on p. 4 of the
Guide to Preparing Theses and Dissertations (https://graduate-and-
international.uark.edu/_resources/forms/thesis-dissertation-guide.pdf).
J. AT LEAST 2 WEEKS BEFORE THE GRADUATE SCHOOL'S FINAL SUBMISSION
DEADLINE, defend your dissertation. Take a copy of your Record of Progress Form
located at (http://graduate-and-international.uark.edu/_resources/forms/phd-progress-
record.pdf) to your dissertation defense. After a successful defense, all three Dissertation
Committee members must sign the Record of Progress Form, and then the Dissertation
Committee Chair must submit that form to the DGS, who will conduct a degree audit. If
all program requirements have been completed, the DGS will sign the Record of
Progress Form on behalf of the department chair and deliver the form to the Graduate
School.

K. BY THE GRADUATE SCHOOL’S FINAL SUBMISSION DEADLINE, hand-deliver to

the Graduate School your complete Dissertation Submission Packet, made up of the
following materials:

• Pre-Check Sheet or E-mail Showing Format Approval (from the Graduate

School)

• Dissertation Submission Form

http://graduate-and-international.uark.edu/_resources/forms/thesis-dissertation-
submission.pdf

• Intellectual Property Disclosure Form

http://graduate-and-international.uark.edu/_resources/forms/intellectual-property-
disclosure.pdf

• Survey of Earned Doctorates Certificate

https://sed-ncses.org/login.aspx?redirect=true

• Full Title Page of Your Dissertation with Original Signatures

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 Only after submitting the above packet of documents to the Graduate School will you be
directed to submit an electronic version of your dissertation to UMI ProQuest.

ABBREVIATED TIMELINE

I. First Year

A. Fall Semester – Begin course work. Try to take a theory course and at least one seminar.

B. January Intersession / Spring Semester – Continue with course work. Try to take at least
one seminar. Complete foreign language requirement if you have not done so already.
(Students specializing in Medieval Studies have multiple language requirements, which
may take longer to complete.)

C. May Intersession / Summer Semester – Use summer to continue course work if TA

position provided (not guaranteed). Continue organizing notes to get ready for taking
readings hours. Attend professionalization activities. Maybe intern.

II. Second Year

A. August Intersession / Fall Semester - Continue with course work that fulfills program
requirements.

B. January Intersession / Spring Semester

1. Complete course work. Probably begin taking readings hours.

2. Choose Advisory Committee members.
C. May Intersession / Summer Semester – Use summer to make progress on candidacy exam
preparation. Attend professionalization activities. Maybe intern.

III. Third Year

A. August Intersession / Fall Semester
1. Continue taking Readings hours.
2. Submit Doctoral Committee Form to DGS.

3. Consult with Advisory Committee while preparing for written candidacy exam.
4. Pass written candidacy exam.
B. January Intersession / Spring Semester
1. Take Readings hours.
2. Meet with Advisory Committee to discuss format of paper and scope of reading list
for oral candidacy exam.
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 3. Pass oral candidacy exam. Submit Candidacy Exam Notification Form and
Prospectus to DGS.
C. May Intersession / Summer Semester – Use summer to conclude candidacy exams and/or
being working on dissertation.

IV. Fourth Year through Dissertation Defense

A. Start or continue registering for Dissertation hours (if candidacy exams have been
completed).
B. Choose Dissertation Committee and re-submit Doctoral Committee Form to DGS only
if restructuring committee. Submit Dissertation Title Form to DGS once you have
finalized.
C. Draft and revise dissertation chapters in consultation with Dissertation Committee.
D. Schedule defense.

E. Apply to graduate.

F. Print and review Guide for Preparing Theses and Dissertations.

G. Submit Dissertation Defense Announcement Form to Graduate School.
H. Submit preliminary copy of dissertation to Graduate School for Pre-Check.

I. Defend dissertation and have committee chair submit Record of Progress to DGS.
J. Submit Dissertation Submission Packet materials to Graduate School.

K. Submit electronic version of dissertation to UMI ProQuest.

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