Academics
Graduation Requirements
If you plan to graduate, you must apply at the beginning of the term you plan to graduate by the deadline date. Go into ISIS and fill out the graduation application on-line. No one is added after the deadline date. If you need to be added, you will need to see John Bowers. If you later decide you will not graduate, go back to the Registrar’s Office, 222 Criser, and ask to have your name removed from the degree list. You will need to apply again to be able to graduate. After you have seen the Registrar’s Office about having your name removed from the list, send an e-mail to John Bowers telling him that you have done this.
Also, while you are in ISIS, please enter your permanent address. This address will be where your diploma will be sent eight to twelve weeks after the ceremony. This address can be overseas if you wish. Do not confuse this with the hold for Emergency Contact Info. These are two different issues.
All grades of I (incomplete), N (no grade submitted by instructor), and J (incomplete research grade) must be changed by the end of the previous term you plan to graduate. Having a grade change submitted in the term you plan to graduate usually means that you will not graduate that term. No graduate student will receive a degree with these grades on their transcript. It is Graduate School policy and cannot be petitioned.
All students must be appropriately registered in their final term. For Spring and Fall terms, the minimum registration is three hours of graduate level coursework. For Summer, it is two hours of graduate level coursework. This is Graduate School policy and cannot be petitioned. If you are a Master’s student doing a thesis you must be registered in Master’s Research (CIS 6971) in your final term (Graduate School policy). If you are a Doctoral student, you must be registered for Doctoral Research (CIS 7980) in your final term (Graduate School policy). Nonthesis students must be registered appropriately.
See Critical Dates and Deadlines for all deadlines from the Graduate School. Please remember if you miss a deadline, you will not be graduating that term. Complete what has to be done well before any deadline in case there is a problem.
If you are a Master’s thesis or Doctoral student, you must attend the ETD (Electronic Thesis and Dissertation submission) sessions that are held each term. Visit Graduate Editorial at UF for more information.
Non-thesis Students
An e-mail will be sent to let you know when Exit Interviews can be scheduled. To do your Exit Interview and Oral Exam, you will need to come by Student Services Center, 405 CSE, and ask to do the Exit Interview and Oral Exam. You will be given paperwork that must be submitted back to the Student Services Center, 405 CSE, before you can proceed with the Exit Interview process. Once you have completed the Exit Interview paperwork, you will then submit it to the Student Services Center, 405 CSE, and set up a date and time for the interview. The Final Exam form will then be submitted to the college and from there, on to the Graduate School. Please realize that it can take a week for it to reach them by campus mail. Do not wait until the week the Final Exam deadline date is to do your Exit Interview. If you wait, you may not graduate that term.
Thesis Students
You will need to come by the Student Services Center, 405 CSE, and pick up the Announcement of Examination form and Signature Page. Once your committee members have agreed on a date and time, you will need to check with 301 CSE about a room. Once you have all that information, fill out the Announcement of Examination form and return it to the Student Services Center, 405 CSE, with your General Audience Abstract. The Announcement of Examination form must be posted for 10 business days before your defense. You will need to submit the form to the Student Services Center, 405 CSE, almost three weeks before your defense. Also you will need to give your committee members a copy of your thesis two weeks before your defense date. Once you have successfully defended your thesis (plain paper) to the Student Services Center, 405 CSE, you will need to bring a copy of your thesis along with a copy of the Signature Page (do not need signatures on it), to start the Exit Interview process to the Student Services Center, 405 CSE. If you do not turn in a copy of the thesis, you cannot do the Exit Interview and the Final Exam form will not be submitted to the college and then on to the Graduate School. Please realize that you have a deadline by which it must be at the Graduate School. Look at Critical Dates. (There will also be copies in the Student Services Center, 405 CSE.) Look for “Last day to submit defended thesis for review.” Defend well in advance of that date. Realize that it can take up to a week for the Final Exam form to be processed at the Graduate School. After the Editorial Office has sent you an e-mail telling you that all corrections have been made to your thesis, you then will need to submit a final version (plain paper) of your thesis to the Student Services Center, 405 CSE, to graduate. If you do not, you do not graduate.
Doctoral Students
You have a first submission deadline that is listed in Critical Dates. Look for “last day to submit dissertation for review by Grad School Editorial Office.” If you do not meet that deadline you will not graduate that term.
You will need to come by the Student Services Center, 405 CSE, and pick up the Announcement of Examination form and your Signature Page. Once your committee members have agreed on a date and time, you will need to check with 301 CSE about a room. Once you have all that information, fill out the Announcement of Examination form and return it to the Student Services Center, 405 CSE, with your General Audience Abstract. Please realize that the Announcement of Examination form must be posted for 10 business days before your defense. So you will need to submit the form to the Student Services Center, 405 CSE, three weeks before your defense. Also you will need to give the members of your committee a copy of your dissertation two weeks before your defense.
Once you have successfully defended your dissertation, you will need to bring a copy of your dissertation (plain paper) along with a copy of the Signature Page (do not need signatures on it) to the Student Services Center, 405 CSE, to start the Exit Interview process. If you do not turn in a copy of dissertation, you cannot do the Exit Interview and the Final Exam form will not be submitted to the college and then onto the Graduate School. Please realize that you have a deadline by which it must be at the Graduate School. Look at Critical Dates. (There will also be copies in the Student Services Center, 405 CSE.) Look for “Last day to achieve Final Clearance.” Defend well in advance of that date. Realize that it can take up to a week for the Final Exam form to be processed at the Graduate School. After the Editorial Office has sent you an e-mail telling you that all corrections have been made to your dissertation, you then will need to submit a final version (plain paper) of your dissertation to the Student Services Center, 405 CSE, to graduate. If you do not, you do not graduate.
Common Problems and Suggestions for Master’s Thesis and Doctoral Students
Sometimes it happens that a member cannot attend your defense. You may have a substitute member (must have Graduate Faculty Status) attend the defense in their place. You will need to inform the Student Services Center, 405 CSE, immediately once you know who will be substituting. The Chair, Co-Chair and External Member must be at your defense. They cannot be substituted or teleconferenced but must be at your defense in person. This is Graduate School policy. The substitute member can sign the Final Exam form but the Signature Page must be signed by all members of your committee and the substitute member does not sign it.
If there is a change in time, place, or date of your defense, you must let us know immediately in the Student Services Center, 405 CSE.
Attend other defenses so that you have an idea of how a defense is held. Also practice with friends so that you feel comfortable being in front of a group of people.
If you are a Master’s student and wish to continue for a PhD, you will need to have the Chair of your committee and one other Graduate Faculty member in the department, send recommendations by e-mail to John Bowers. It is also suggested that you submit a Statement of Purpose if you wish. Once John Bowers has this information, your file will go to our committee and a decision will be made and a letter sent to you telling you the decision.
If you are an UF EDGE student, call us at 352-392-1090 before the term you plan to graduate so that we can help you with the forms.
More Information
For additional information contact a CISE Graduate Advisor or visit the CISE Student Services Center (E405 CSE Building).
