Doctoral Final Examinations

• Department of Curriculum and Instruction
  • Qualifications for holding a Final Examination
  • Requesting a Final Examination
  • Reporting Results of a Final Examination
• Department of Educational Studies
  • Qualifications for holding a Final Examination
  • Requesting a Final Examination
  • Reporting Results of a Final Examination

Doctoral Final Examinations
Department of Curriculum and Instruction

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Qualifications for holding a Final Examination

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At least two academic sessions devoted to research and writing must elapse between the preliminary and final doctoral examinations.  For instance, a doctoral student who passes the preliminary examination in a summer session is eligible to take the final examination (provided that the student is registered for the following fall and spring semesters) beginning with the following summer session.  A Prelim must be passed before the last day classes end in a session for it to count for that session.

A student must be registered in the session they plan to hold their final examination.

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Requesting a Final Examination

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Any student who is holding their Dissertation Defense must have a report form, which is signed by the student's committee and indicating if the student passed or failed.  To receive this report form, you must first submit a request form to hold the students Prelim or Dissertation Defense.  This request form may be picked up in the COE Office of Graduate Studies or accessed at:  http://www.gradschool.purdue.edu/downloads/facstaff/GS-8.doc

The signed Graduate School Form 8 "Request for Appointment of Examining Committee" must be submitted to the COE Office of Graduate Studies with enough time for the form to be processed and forwarded to the Graduate School at least two full weeks before the desired exam date (Graduate School Policy).  Otherwise, the form will be returned unprocessed and will need to be resubmitted with a later exam date that will comply with the stated policy.  Normally exceptions will not be granted.  If there are extenuating circumstances why this policy cannot be adhered to, submit a memorandum, signed by the major professor and the department head, with the request form asking for an exception to policy and stating the circumstances as to why the form could not have been submitted earlier.  (Non-availability for signature is not a valid circumstance.)A student must have at least four committee members on their final examination committee.  Not more than one dissenting vote is acceptable.

Final doctoral examinations are announced by e-mail to the COE list serve, and posted on the department and COE Office of Graduate studies bulletin boards.

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Reporting Results of a Final Examination

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A Graduate School Form 11 "Report of the Final Examination" must be signed by all members of the student's committee and indicate if the student should be awarded a degree.  This form must be submitted by the deadline posted for each session's graduation. Graduation deadlines for each session may be located at:  http://www.gradschool.purdue.edu/calendar/

Final examinations must be held before the last week of classes.

If the examination is unsatisfactory, at least one semester must elapse before a final examination is repeated. A new request (Graduate School Form 8 "Request for Appointment of Examining Committee") must be submitted.

A student has five years from the date they pass Prelims to successfully pass their final defense.  If a student exceeds the five year limit, the student's Prelim becomes invalid and will have to be retaken.
(School Policy, September 1993)

A preliminary examination passed by a student whose graduate study and/or professional activity has been inactive for five years or more is invalid.
(Graduate School Policy)

If a student is unable to deposit their thesis in the semester they pass their defense or within one semester after passing their defense, the student will need to put in writing why they are unable to deposit and the date they plan to deposit. This should be filed with the COE Office of Graduate Studies. A time limit to deposit a thesis may be set by the students committee (not to exceed five years).

Degree must be completed within 5 years after passing the Final Examination. (Graduate School Policy)

Doctoral Final Examination
Department of Educational Studies

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Qualifications for holding a Final Examination

back to top

At least two academic sessions devoted to research and writing must elapse between the preliminary and final doctoral examinations.  For instance, a doctoral student who passes the preliminary examination in a summer session is eligible to take the final examination (provided that the student is registered for the following fall and spring semesters) beginning with the following summer session. 

A student must be registered in the session they plan to hold their final examination.

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Requesting a Final Examination

back to top

Any student who is holding their Dissertation Defense must have a report form, which is signed by the student's committee and indicating if the student passed or failed.  To receive this report form, you must first submit a request form to hold the students Prelim or Dissertation Defense.  This request form may be picked up in the COE Office of Graduate Studies or accessed at:  http://www.gradschool.purdue.edu/downloads/facstaff/GS-8.doc

The signed Graduate School Form 8 "Request for Appointment of Examining Committee" must be submitted to the COE Office of Graduate Studies with enough time for the form to be processed and forwarded to the Graduate School at least two full weeks before the desired exam date (Graduate School Policy).  Otherwise, the form will be returned unprocessed and will need to be resubmitted with a later exam date that will comply with the stated policy.  Normally exceptions will not be granted.  If there are extenuating circumstances why this policy cannot be adhered to, submit a memorandum, signed by the major professor and the department head, with the request form asking for an exception to policy and stating the circumstances as to why the form could not have been submitted earlier.  (Non-availability for signature is not a valid circumstance.)A student must have at least four committee members on their final examination committee.  Not more than one dissenting vote is acceptable.

A student must have at least four committee members on their final examination committee.  Not more than one dissenting vote is acceptable.

Policy on Co-Chairs of Committees:

1. A student entering a graduate program will be appointed a temporary Major Professor (a graduate program advisor who is a faculty member in program area).  This advisor will monitor the student's academic progress.
2. It is desirable that a student file a Plan of Study by the end of the first year in the program.  At this time the student is responsible for designating a Major Professor, who may or may not be the person initially assigned to be the temporary Major Professor.
   a.  A simple majority of a student's committee must be Purdue faculty in the student's program with regular certification approved by the Graduate School.
   b.  One member of the student's committee must be from the student's related area. (Department Policy)
3. A student who is ready to begin working on the dissertation must designate a Major Professor to serve as the chair of the dissertation committee (thesis advisor). This person may be the existing Major Professor or a different faculty member. The thesis advisor takes over primary oversight of the student's progress in the program and dissertation. The student's dissertation committee is chaired by the designated Major Professor (thesis advisor).
4. The practice of having co-chairs for a Master's or Doctoral committee is not advantageous nor desirable except in the specific instances that follow:
   a.  A co-chair who reflects the student's matriculation in a different program area or department (e.g., if a student is admitted to a program area in Educational Studies but is doing research that is cross-disciplinary and has a major component in another department, such as Curriculum & Instruction).
   b.  Co-chairs in the same department at different campuses or institutions may be advisable in cases where the student's thesis advisor relocates.
   c.  Co chairs within the same program area are acceptable if the faculty and student can agree to a clear delineation of responsibilities (in writing) at the time that the co-chairs are determined.
   d.  In the event that a student's committee is co-chaired, the signature of both co-chairs is required on all committee documents (e.g., dissertation proposal, changes to the plan of study, thesis examination documents, etc.).
   e.  Program areas may propose exceptions to this policy, which will be reviewed for approval by the Curriculum and Graduate Committee.
5. The student may change the Major Professor / Dissertation Committee Chair / committee members at any time assuming that the new Major Professor / Dissertation Committee Chair / committee members have agreed to the change.

(Department policy, Approved August 15, 2007)

Final doctoral examinations are announced by e-mail to the COE list serve, and posted on the department and COE Office of Graduate studies bulletin boards.

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Reporting Results of a Final Examination

back to top

A Graduate School Form 11 "Report of the Final Examination" must be signed by all members of the student's committee and indicate if the student should be awarded a degree.  This form must be submitted by the deadline posted for each session's graduation. Graduation deadlines for each session may be located at:  http://www.gradschool.purdue.edu/calendar/

Final examinations must be held before the last week of classes.

If the examination is unsatisfactory, at least one semester must elapse before a final examination is repeated. A new request (Graduate School Form 8 "Request for Appointment of Examining Committee") must be submitted.

A student has five years from the date they pass Prelims to successfully pass their final defense.  If a student exceeds the five year limit, the students Prelim becomes invalid and will have to be retaken.
(School Policy, September 1993)

A preliminary examination passed by a student whose graduate study and/or professional activity has been inactive for five years or more is invalid.
(Graduate School Policy)

If a student is unable to depost their thesis in the semester they pass their defense or within one semester after passing their defense, the student will need to put in writing why they are unable to deposit and the date they plan to deposit. This should be filed with the COE Office of Graduate Studies. A time limit to deposit a thesis may be set by the students committee (not to exceed five years).

Degree must be completed within 5 years after passing the Final Examination. (Graduate School Policy)