Students and advisors should check with the Office of Graduate Studies, 117 Cramer Hall, 725-8410, to verify important deadlines for processing graduation forms. All GO forms must go through the Department Office. They will be forward to the Graduate Studies Office.

Much of the clerical work required to graduate should occur within the term prior to the proposed term of graduation. Ideally, students will identify a thesis director, arrange for an MA Committee to read the thesis and administer exams, and apply for graduation before the proposed term of graduation. In the final term, students will submit the thesis, sit the written and oral exams, and submit a final, approved copy of the thesis to the Office of Graduate Studies. Students and advisors should try to complete the following steps in order.

1. Student satisfies the foreign language requirement. Typically students will either satisfy the foreign language requirement in the first term of admission to the program, or they will work with the Foreign Languages Department in the first term of admission in order to create a plan for satisfying the requirement.

2. Student identifies a thesis director who will chair the thesis and exam committees.

3. Advisor submits departmental form MA/MS in Writing: Thesis Proposal Approval form to MA/MS in Writing Committee in the term before the proposed graduation term.

4. Student signs up for eight thesis credit hours, normally spread over the final two terms of the student’s residency.

5. Student and advisor file GO-12 Approved Graduate Degree Program normally in the term before the proposed graduation term. Absolute deadline is within the first week of proposed term of graduation. (Thesis advisor and Chair, MA/MS in Writing Committee must sign and forward to Graduate Office.)

6. Student applies for graduation with the Graduate Office normally at the same time that the GO-12 is filed (see above).

7. Student and advisor create MA Committee to approve thesis and administer written and oral exams. Advisor and/or Chair, MA/MS in Writing Committee must approve of the MA Committee members. Normally, the thesis advisor will chair the MA committee and direct both the thesis and exams. The MA Committee should consist of four members: (1) thesis advisor, (2) a member of the MA/MS in Writing Committee, (3) an additional member from the English department, and (4) a faculty representative from outside the English department.

8. Thesis director files GO-16M Appointment of Thesis Final Oral Examination Committee in the term prior to the proposed term of graduation. Absolute deadline is the Friday before finals week in the term prior to the proposed term of graduation.

9. Student enrolls in at least one graduate credit in the proposed term of graduation.

10. Student consults Graduate Office regarding thesis approval—e.g., formatting, paper requirements, and deadlines.

11. Student submits copies of thesis to MA Committee no later than 14 days prior to the oral exam.

12. Student takes written and oral exams no later than the sixth week of the proposed term of graduation. Student and thesis director work together to organize the MA Committee and meet this deadline.

13. If the exams are successful and the thesis is approved, the MA Committee normally completes and files GO-17 Masters: Recommendation for the Degree at the end of the oral exam. (If additional work is required on the thesis, the GO-17 can be submitted during the final week of the term.)

14. Thesis Approval Pages (different from the GO-17), correctly formatted and on the correct paper, must be signed by the MA Committee and the Department Chair before being submitted to the Office of Graduate Studies.

14. Student files copy of the thesis with the Graduate Office no later than the eighth week of the proposed term of graduation.