Final Examination - Master's Thesis

• Department of Curriculum and Instruction
  • Qualifications for holding a Final Examination
  • Requesting a Final Examination
  • Policy for Holding the 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

Final Examination - Master's Thesis
Department of Curriculum and Instruction

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Qualifications for holding a Final Examination

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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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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.

If a program area does not hold final exams, or has the student submit a portfolio or final project, the "Report of Master's Examining Committee" form must still be submitted to the Graduate School.  The report form 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/.

A student must have at least 3 members on their final exam committee.  Although only three committee members are required, if the committee has four or more members, a single member may withhold his or her signature of approval.

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Policy for Holding the Final Examination

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Master's Thesis Option students must have both a written and oral examination.
(Department Policy)

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Reporting Results of a Final Examination

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

If the committee decides that the examination is unsatisfactory and a second examination is to be requested, a new request (Graduate School Form 8 "Request for Appointment of Examining Committee") must be submitted to the Graduate School.  At least one session must intervene before the second examination is taken.

Final Examination - Master's Thesis
Department of Educational Studies

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Qualifications for holding a Final Examination

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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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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.

If a program area does not hold final exams, or has the student submit a portfolio or final project, the "Report of Master's Examining Committee" form must still be submitted to the Graduate School.  The report form 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/.

A student must have at least 3 members on their final exam committee.  Although only three committee members are required, if the committee has four or more members, a single member may withhold his or her signature of approval.

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)

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Reporting Results of a Final Examination

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

If the committee decides that the examination is unsatisfactory and a second examination is to be requested, a new request (Graduate School Form 8 "Request for Appointment of Examining Committee") must be submitted to the Graduate School.  At least one session must intervene before the second examination is taken.