Thesis and Dissertation Guidelines: 2013-2014

Upon completion of all academic degree requirements, a USU graduate student begins the final steps that lead to the awarding of a graduate degree. These steps represent the culmination of the graduate student's research at USU and a formal recognition by the University that the graduate student is qualified to receive a USU degree. This process is initiated when a graduate student's major advisor and Advisory Committee have agreed that the student has completed all the requirements for graduation. The first step is the submission of a memorandum (Appendix A) by the major advisor, through the Program Director, to the Associate Dean for Graduate Education (ADGE) that states that the graduate student has met all the requirements and that a formal defense of the dissertation should be scheduled. This memorandum must be submitted to one month prior to the anticipated formal dissertation defense. This memorandum must also contain a recommendation for the Chairperson of the Final Defense Examination Committee, the names of the members of the graduate student's Thesis Committee, and the exact wording and punctuation of the title of the graduate student's dissertation or thesis. Upon receipt of this formal memorandum, the GEO will schedule a conference room for the private Final Defense Examination and a lecture room for the Public Defense Seminar. Seminar notices will be posted throughout the University and email announcements will be sent to the local academic community at the appropriate time.

At least two weeks before the private dissertation defense, the student must submit his/her dissertation electronically (Microsoft Word) to GEO for an originality check utilizing the “TurnitIn” Anti-­‐Plagiarism Software program. The ADGE will review the TurnitIn Originality Report and ensure the student’s dissertation does not include “theft or misappropriation of intellectual property or any substantial unattributed textual copying of another’s work…Substantial unattributed textual copying means the unattributed verbatim or nearly verbatim copying of sentences and paragraphs which materially mislead the ordinary reader regarding the contributions of the author.” (ORI Newsletter, December, 1994, 3(1), 6-­‐7, see: http://ori.dhhs.gov/documents/newsletters/vol3_no1.pdf)

Assuming that the results of the TurnitIn Originality Report are satisfactory, the Final Defense Examination may occur as scheduled (see above). A successful Final Defense Examination is indicated by the signatures of the Examining Committee on the “Final Examination Sheet” supplied by the GEO to the Chairperson of the Examining Committee. Upon conclusion of the Examination, the Committee Chair submits the signed sheet indicating Pass or Fail to the ADGE through the Program Director. The Committee Chair will also submit the “Dissertation Approval Sheet” indicating acceptance of the dissertation, after necessary revisions are made by the student.

Graduating Students who wish to graduate before May must submit their completed Graduation Credential Packet to GEO no later than the dates on the Deadline Time Table attached as Appendix B. The dates indicate when the packets are due to GEO in order to get Board of Regents approval for your degree at the quarterly meetings. This Credential Packet is available (for the most part) through the GEO and includes the following:

1. Copyright Statement
2. Graduate Program Alumni Survey
3. Doctoral Dissertation Agreement Form
4. USU Form 3210 (only if the student received USU funding during his/her doctoral studies)
5. Graduation Form Part I
6. Graduation Form Part II (GEO emails this form before the graduation ceremony in May)
7. Checkout Form
8. Thesis Binding Ticket
9. SED Survey of Earned Doctorates
10. Abbreviated CV (no more than 2 pages)
11. Copies of the Dissertation On CD (2)
12. Hard Copy of the Dissertation (1 for LRC, and 2 for binding)