The Student's Guide to Luddy Ph.D. Milestones

This guide does not substitute for the official documents, the program's Doctor of Philosophy Handbook and the University Graduate School Bulletin. Always consult these documents for further details and official explanations. The benchmarks and explanations may vary if the student double majors. Email the Luddy Graduate Studies Office if you have questions at gradvise@indiana.edu.

Each year of enrollment in the program.

• Submit a self-evaluation for the previous academic year. An email with a link to the self-evaluation form is sent to students in August by the Luddy Graduate Studies Office.

Each year in the fall term, the program faculty review and evaluate the student's academic progress. The student's faculty advisor/supervisor will provide feedback on their progress.

Within the first year of enrollment in the program.

• Complete and submit the Transfer of Credit e-Doc form located on the Luddy website.

Up to 30 credits of graduate work may be transferred to the student's Ph.D. degree. For a course to transfer, a grade of 3.0 or higher must have been earned.

Within the first year of enrollment in the program.

• Submit the Advisory Committee e-Doc form located on the Luddy website.

Committee should consist of (1) at least two members from the student's major area; and (2) at least one from another major. At least two of the committee members must be members of the graduate faculty. The Advisory Committee e-doc should be submitted by the end of the student's first year in the program.

Within the first year of enrollment in the program, a student must select a minor.

• Complete and submit the Ph.D. Minor e-Doc form located on the Luddy website. Include the courses that will be taken to fulfill the minor requirements.

Each doctoral student is required to complete either a minor within the School or an approved minor outside the School. Internal and external minors should be appropriate to the student's research as determined by the student's advisory committee. Note: Individualized minors must be approved prior to taking courses in the minor. Submit the Individualize Minor e-Doc on one.iu.edu for UGS review and approval.

After all course work has been completed and within the first three years after admission, your Advisory Committee will give approval to take the Qualifying Exam (Quals).

• Schedule an appointment with your Advisory Committee to discuss scheduling the quals.
• After passing or failing the Quals, submit the Post-Qualifying Exam e-Doc form located on the Luddy website.

The qualifying examinations - written and oral - are prescribed by program faculty. Quals can be taken only twice. The Quals can be taking only during the academic year (August to May) and not during the summer months of June and July.

Important: Candidacy expires seven (7) years from the date that the student passed the Quals. The Quals must be passed at least eight (8) months before the date the degree is awarded.

Beginning the first semester after passing the Quals.

• Remain continuously enrolled each semester until the degree is conferred.

Students who have passed the qualifying examination must enroll each semester (excluding summer sessions) for any remaining required course work or dissertation credits. Once such students have accumulated 90 credit hours in completed course work and deferred dissertation credits, they must enroll for a minimum of 1 hour of graduate credit each semester until the degree is completed.

Upon completion of all course work and passing the Quals.

• Submit the Nomination to Candidacy via one.iu.edu

Note: Once the Nomination to Candidacy has been approved, the student is not a Ph.D. candidate. To achieve that title, the Nomination of Research must be approved, and the student must have passed their dissertation proposal defense.

To submit the Nomination to Candidacy, the student must have passed the Quals and completed all course work with final grades (except for your department's thesis course: CSCI-Y890, ENGR-E890, ILS-Z799, or INFO-I890). Courses that are older than seven (7) years from the passing date of the Qualifying Exam must be revalidated. If substituting a course, the Request for Substitution or Waiver of Program Requirements e-Doc located on one.iu.edu, must be approved by UGS. The student's advisory committee disbands when the student is nominated to candidacy.

After Nomination to Candidacy has been approved and must be approved at least six (6) months prior to defending. 

• Submit the Nomination of Research Committee for the Ph.D. along with an abstract via one.iu.edu.

The Research Committee supervises the dissertation research, conducts the thesis proposal examination, and conducts the Ph.D. thesis defense final examination. The Research Committee will include: (1) a director who will serve as the chairperson; (2) two or more faculty members from the major department; and (3) one faculty member outside from each minor. These Research Committee members must be from Indiana University and members of the graduate faculty. The chair and at least half of the Research Committee must be endorsed to direct doctoral dissertations. If a student wishes to have a Research Committee member who is not on the UGS Graduate Faculty List, this individual would be an outside committee member and would not be one of the four required Research Committee Members.

Important: After Nomination to Research has been approved and must be approved at least six (6) months prior to defending.

• Submit a detailed written research proposal, of a length suggested by the student's Research Committee (usually around 20 pages or more), to the Research Committee at least two weeks prior to the dissertation proposal oral defense.
• Schedule the Dissertation Research Proposal Oral Defense.
• Submit the Dissertation Proposal e-Doc form located on the Luddy website.

The Dissertation Research Proposal and Oral Defense demonstrates a research direction likely to lead to a successful dissertation. At this time, the Research Committee and academic community will identify issues and provide guidance. A detailed research written research proposal, of a length suggested by the student's Research Committee at least two weeks prior to the dissertation proposal oral defense. This defense will be open to the public.

Important: The Dissertation Research Proposal and Oral Defense must take place at least thirty (30) days after the approval of the Nomination to Candidacy.

ONLY after reaching this point is the student officially considered a Ph.D. Candidate.

The dissertation must be an original contribution to knowledge and of high scholarly merit. There must be a logical connection between all components of the dissertation, and those components must be integrated in a rational and coherent fashion. The Research Committee will determine the kind and amount of published materials to be included in the dissertation. The dissertation should be edited for correct grammar and usage of the English language.

At least 40-45 days prior to the scheduled Defense of the Dissertation.

• Schedule date, time, and location of dissertation defense.
• Submit the Ph.D. Defense Announcement form along with a summary (max. of 300 words) via one.iu.edu.

Important: The University Graduate School (UGS) must receive the Defense Announcement at least 30 days before the date of the Defense. The Defense Announcement should be submitted at least 40-45 days before the defense date to allow time for approvals.

At least 30 days after the Defense Announcement is received by UGS.

• Defend the dissertation in a public meeting and answer questions from the Research Committee.
• Submit the Defense Signature Collection e-Doc via one.iu.edu

An oral defense meeting, open to the public, is required. The Research Committee must vote on the outcome of the examination: pass, conditional pass, deferred decision, or failure. All members of the Ph.D. student's Research Committee are expected to participate in the student's defense in-person and on-campus.

Important: Defense of the Dissertation must take place at least 30 days after the Defense Announcement is received by the UGS.

Within six (6) months from the date of the defense.

• Complete all outstanding requirements of the Research Committee
• Submit the final dissertation to ProQuest as instructed by UGS.

The student's Research Committee Chairperson oversees any final revisions. Once the student has the final approval of the Research Committee to submit the disseration, it should be submitted electronically. For complete dissertation submission information, see the University Graduate School's website.

Important: The dissertation must be submitted within six (6) month from the date of the defense.

A student's submission of the completed dissertation and abstract as described under the Submission of the Dissertation section constitutes an application for conferral of the Ph.D. degree.

• After submission of the dissertation to UGS, complete any formatting changes required by UGS.

The Ph.D. degree is conferred by UGS. Except for May and December, the student's degree conferral date is the last day of the month in which the dissertation is accepted as finalized by UGS. The initial submission of the dissertation to UGS must occur by the 15th of the month for degree conferral to be considered for that same month (May and December excepted). The Luddy Graduate Studies Office emails graduation application information several times throughout the academic year. Check your IU email regularly.

• Submit a Ph.D. Commencement Participation Application.

University Commencement Ceremony: The University holds two university-wide commencement events - Winter (December) and Spring (May). Most students attend the Spring Commencement. A student who finishes their degree during the fall can attend the Winter or Spring Commencement. Upon completion of all outstanding requirements of the Research Committee, a student can apply to graduate. See commencement related activities.

• Register for the Luddy School Recognition Celebration event which is held during graduation week.

Students that have applied for graduation are emailed instructions on how to register for the Luddy Student Recognition Celebration event. Be sure to watch for these emails as many of the deadlines are time sensitive.