Graduate Info
Degree Certification
General Information
The Degree Certification office is located on the third floor of the Administration Bldg. in Room 316. The office is open to students from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.The Degree Certification office can answer most questions you may have concerning paperwork to file, deadlines, requirements, etc. Please make use of this available resource, especially when the Graduate Program Coordinator is not available. Their website contains important procedures, information, and deadlines for all graduate students. You should also consult the Graduate College Deadlines Chart
All materials should be submitted directly to the Graduate Program Coordinator, rather than the Degree Certification office. The Graduate Program Coordinator will make the necessary copies and submit them to the Graduate College. This important step insures that the department is aware of your program and plans to complete your degree.
Master's Program
Master's Plan of Study forms that are submitted with errors or omissions will be returned with a Revise and Return form attached. The Degree Certification office will indicate what information needs attention. Applicants must submit the corrected application within two weeks.If you make any changes to your course program, name, address, or diploma address after filing the Master's Plan of Study, you must file a Changes in Student Records or Programs of Study form. These forms are available via online forms, you will need Adobe Acrobat to print the official form for signatures. As with all forms after completion, and after all signatures are obtained, bring the original to the Graduate Program Coordinator, who will make the necessary copies and send them to the Degree Certification office. If you must change the semester of your completion, you must notify Degree Certification immediately by phone or in person to avoid duplicate diploma charges. Please also notify the Graduate Program Coordinator.
Ph.D. Program
The Department of Computer Science has a Ph.D. Degree Checklist for keeping track of details and deadlines. You are encouraged to carefully read the checklist as you progress through your program.Doctoral Plan of Study forms which are submitted with errors or omissions will be returned with a Revise and Return form attached. The Degree Certification office will indicate what information needs attention. Students must submit the corrected form within two weeks.When filing the application for the Oral Comprehensive Examination, you must include a date that the major and minor written examinations were passed. Applications with missing dates or written exam results will not be approved. If the committee includes a non-tenure track member, please notify the Graduate Program Coordinator. Special approval for this must be secured from the Graduate College. Allow for an additional three weeks for this approval. This non-tenure track member should be prepared to submit a curriculum vita. This applies to both Comprehensive and Final Oral exams.
If you make any changes in your course work, dissertation title, name, address, or diploma address after filing the Doctoral Plan of Study, you must file a Changes in Student Records or Programs of Study form. As with all forms, after completion and signatures are obtained, file with the Graduate Program Coordinator, who will make the necessary copies and see that they are sent to the Degree Certification office. A change in only the dissertation title can be done on the Announcement of Oral Defense Examination, which must be filed three weeks before the examination.
Minor committee members are required to sign the Announcement of Oral Defense Examination and indicate below his or her name the decision to attend or waive representation. The Graduate College is responsible for securing Graduate Representative for oral exams.
The Graduate College has developed the Manual for Thesis/Dissertation to assist in the process of formatting a thesis/dissertation.
For help with formatting your dissertation, a UNIX file with TEX and troff macros for typesetting a dissertation can be found by accessing: /cs/curriculum/dissertation/az.sty
Commencement Information
Student Responsibility
- You, the student, are responsible for knowing and applying the information in the Graduate Catalog and the Degree Handbooks.
- If you have questions regarding procedures or paperwork, contact the Graduate Program Coordinator or the Degree Certification office. If you have questions regarding course work or program requirements, you should contact your faculty advisor.
- All Degree Certification forms must be submitted to the Graduate Program Coordinator in Room 901. The forms will be sent to the Degree Certification office for you.
- Always keep copies of your paperwork for your records. When forms are approved, the Graduate College will send a signed copy to the department and to you.
- Failure to submit forms on time may result in the delay of your graduation.
- If you need to change your projected date of graduation, you must inform the Degree Certification office and the Graduate Program Coordinator as soon as possible. Late reporting can result in a duplicate diploma charge and omission of your name from the commencement program.
- Any special requests for exceptions to the published policy and procedures of the Graduate College must be submitted on a Graduate Petition Form, which are available online
- It is very important that you keep the Academic Services office, the Registrar's Office, and the Degree Certification office informed of any changes in your name, address, or phone number. A correct diploma address must also be on file with the Degree Certification office.
- You must be enrolled in all semesters in which exams are taken, or in which you plan to defend.