Navigating Your Doctoral Degree
General steps for Doctoral students
1. Plan courses for degree
- Who: Initiated through Graduate Advisor
- Where: Submitted to Graduate Advisor
- When: Prior to registration
2. Take preliminary exam (option)
- Who: Initiated through Graduate Advisor
- Where: Submitted to Graduate School Enrollment Services
- When: Early in doctoral study, usually first semester of coursework
3. Set up doctoral advisory committee and title
- Who: Initiated through Graduate Advisor
- Where: Submitted to Graduate School Enrollment Services
- When: Prior to filing doctoral degree plan
4. File "Program for the Doctoral Degree" form
- Who: Initiated through Graduate Advisor or Chair, Advisory Committee
- Where: Submitted to Graduate School Enrollment Services
- When: Before the second semester of enrollment in the program
5. File changes in degree program, if necessary
- Who: Initiated through Graduate Advisor or Chair, Advisory Committee
- Where: Submitted to Graduate School Enrollment Services
- When: As needed
6. Take Qualifying Examination for major and minor subjects
- Who: Initiated through Graduate Advisor or Chair, Advisory Committee
- Where: See step #7
- When: After approval of doctoral program and completion of coursework
7. Recommendation for admission to candidacy
- Who: Chair of Committee
- Where: Submitted to Graduate School Enrollment Services
- When: After passing qualifying exam and no later than 4 months before graduation
8. Enroll in semester of graduation if all requirements are met
- Who: Initiated through Graduate Advisor or Chair, Advisory Committee
- Where: Submitted to Registrar
- When: Semester of graduation
At least 3 hours
9. Apply to Graduate
- Who: Initiated through Student
- Where: Submitted to Graduate School Enrollment Services
- When: Semester of graduation no later than posted deadline (One must be filed for each intended graduation semester)
Go to raiderlink.ttu.edu » 'TTU MyTech' » 'Current Term' » 'Apply to Graduate'
10. Pay the Thesis-Dissertation fee through Student Business Services
- Who: Initiated through Graduate School Dissertation Supervisor
- Where: Submitted to Student Business Services
- When: Semester of graduation (This is paid only once.)
11. Schedule final oral defense of dissertation and submit “Doctoral Final Oral Examination Notification Form”
- Who: Initiated through Student, Committee Chair, and Advisory Committee
- Where: Submitted to Graduate School Dissertation Supervisor
- When: At least 3 weeks before defense
12. Stand for final oral defense of dissertation and send result by memo to the Graduate School
- Who: Initiated through Advisory Committee
- Where: Submitted to Graduate School Doctoral Coordinator
- When: Semester of graduation
13. Submit signed Thesis-Dissertation Approval Form, and after incorporating committee changes, submit .pdf file of dissertation to ETD site for review
- Who: Initiated through Student, Advisory Committee
- Where: Submitted to Graduate School Dissertation Supervisor
- When: Semester of graduation (usually 5 weeks before graduation date)
14. Final grade for thesis hours (A or B)
- Who: Initiated through Committee Chair or Advisory Committee
- Where: Submitted to Registrar – Final grade roll
- When: End of semester
15. Submit official .pdf of dissertation to ETD website
- Who: Initiated through Student
- Where: Submitted to Graduate School Dissertation Supervisor
- When: Prior to deadline
16. Complete Doctoral Survey
- Who: Initiated through Student
- Where: Submitted to the National Science Foundation
- When: Before Graduation
Department of Plant and Soil Science
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Address
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Phone
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Email
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