Doctoral Degree Steps to Completion

• What to submit: Appointment of Supervisory Committee form
• When to submit: Prior to completing half of the coursework, including transfer hours, but excluding research or language tools.
• Who to submit to: Doctoral Programs Coordinator

You will be notified by email when your committee is approved.

For full policy, see Supervisory Committee in the Graduate Catalog.

• What to submit: Program of Studies form
• When to submit: Prior to completing half of the coursework, including transfer hours, but excluding research or language tools. May be submitted at the same time as the Appointment of Supervisory Committee form.
• Who to submit to: Doctoral Programs Coordinator

NOTE: Requests to change an approved Program of Studies must be submitted by the student’s major advisor via email to the Doctoral Programs Coordinator. DO NOT submit a new Program of Studies.

For full policy, see Program of Studies in the Graduate Catalog.

• What to submit: Application for Admission to Candidacy form
• When to submit: After successful completion of the comprehensive examination, no later than date TBD
• Who to submit to: Doctoral Programs Coordinator

For full policy, including registration requirements, see Comprehensive Examination and Candidacy in the Graduate Catalog.

The comprehensive examination must be completed 7 months prior to graduation.

The Application for Admission to Candidacy form must be submitted when language and research tool requirements have been met and the comprehensive examination(s) have been passed.

• What to submit: Complete the Application for Graduation in MyRED. The online Application for Graduation will become available in MyRED the semester following Admission to Candidacy. All students must complete the Hooding Participation form.
• When to submit: The Application for Graduation and Hooding Participation form must be completed no later than: date TBD

Failure to complete this step will result in a diploma not being ordered for you and your graduation date will be postponed.

• What to submit: Application for Final Oral Examination form, with the signatures of the two readers and supervisory committee chair(s).
• When to submit: Due at least 2 weeks prior to Final Oral Examination. Last date to submit the Application for Final Oral Examination: date TBD

  Last day to hold Final Oral Examination: date TBD

• Who to submit to: Doctoral Programs Coordinator

For full policy see Final Oral Examination in the Graduate Catalog.

• What to submit:
  • Title page
  • Abstract
  • Full dissertation rough draft

  The formatting will be reviewed and students will be notified of any needed changes. No content will be reviewed. Any formatting changes must be made prior to final dissertation deposit.

• When to submit: Submit Rough draft with Application for Final Oral Examination at least 2 weeks prior to Final Oral Examination. Last date to submit the Application for Final Oral Examination: date TBD
• Who to submit to: Doctoral Programs Coordinator

For full policy see Dissertation in the Graduate Catalog.

• Formatting resource: Preparing a Dissertation.
• Following approval by the major advisor, the dissertation and abstract should be presented to the Reading Committee for review at least four weeks prior to the oral examination (defense).

• What to submit: Final and complete dissertation as a PDF
• When to submit: date TBD
• Who to submit to: Doctoral Programs Coordinator
  

  Student will be notified when dissertation has been approved for upload to ProQuest (required) and UNL Digital Commons (optional).

For full policy see Dissertation and Final Oral Examination in the Graduate Catalog.

• What to submit: Final dissertation in .pdf format.

  ProQuest will recognize you are a UNL student and not require payment for basic upload. If placing an embargo, ProQuest will delay distribution of your dissertation. You will need to be specific about the length of time.

  If requesting copyright registration through ProQuest, complete the additional ProQuest form and pay the associated fee.

• When to submit: After final formatting approval has been given by Graduate Studies. No later than: date TBD
• Who to submit to: ProQuest

NOTE:

• UNL Digital Commons upload is optional, but encouraged.
• If students want to make their dissertation available in Digital Commons, they must to follow the UNL Digital Commons process.
• Upload only after approval by Graduate Studies.

• What to submit: Final dissertation deposit fees - $25 dissertation processing fee (required)
• When to submit: No later than: date TBD
• How to submit: Paid in MyRED (To-do list) by credit or debit card.

NOTE: This payment is not part of your student account. You will receive email confirmation of this payment.

• What to submit:
  • Finalized Report of Completion form

    NOTE: A majority of the committee must be in attendance and sign the Report of Completion form.

  • Resolve Incomplete Grades - Outstanding incomplete/no report grades for Dissertation credits need final grades to be entered. The advisor/committee chair of record should use the form found on the Registrar's tutorial page to complete the grade change for outstanding incomplete/no report Dissertation credits.

    NOTE: Current semester grading should be completed through the grade reports.

  • Abstract
• When to submit: After your defense and no later than: date TBD
• Who to submit to: Upload Form

Note: Ph.D. students must complete the Survey of Earned Doctorates. The Doctoral Programs Coordinator will automatically receive a notice of completion.