Graduate Degree Requirements

Prerequisites for All Graduate Degrees

Graduate work in any department must be preceded by sufficient undergraduate work in the field or a related one to satisfy the chair of the department that the student can successfully do graduate work in the chosen field.

A student is expected to have adequate command of the English language to enable the student to organize subject matter and to present it in creditable written form. Any faculty member may at any time refer a student to the Reading/Writing Center of the Department of English for noncredit remedial work.

Editing Services and Statistical Assistance

The following guidelines have been approved by the graduate policy committee.

1. University regulations are quite clear concerning plagiarism and inappropriate assistance; these regulations apply with particular force to theses and dissertations: “. . .violations of the Academic Honor Code shall include representing another’s work or any part thereof, be it published or unpublished, as one’s own” - Dean of Faculties Web site, Faculty Handbook. Appendix A: Florida State University Academic Honor Policy;
2. The ready availability of editing services and statistical assistance, and in particular of computer and statistical research design assistance, must not be seen as a substitute for required training and/or coursework;
3. Professional editing services may not become a substitute for faculty advisement and should be confined to language structure;
4. The major professor must be informed and concur before a student seeks assistance in any or all of the editing or statistical assistance areas, and faculty concurrence should be documented as part of the student’s record. The particular scholarly work in question should be reviewed prior to such assistance, so that issues of scholarly form and content have been dealt with in advance of the use of such services. The student must confer with the major adviser before incorporating any advice obtained through the above-mentioned services into written work;
5. In all cases, such assistance must be noted in the acknowledgments accompanying the final version of a paper, thesis, or dissertation.

Graduate Students Enrolled for Two Degrees Simultaneously

Under certain special circumstances it is possible for a student to work on two degrees in two different departments at the same time. Students intending to do this must be accepted by both departments. A Dual Enrollment Request Form showing endorsement by both department heads and dean(s), as appropriate, must be sent to the Dean of the Graduate School for approval. Once approved, the Office of the University Registrar will be notified of the dual registration.

Note: Initial admission to a graduate program at Florida State University must be to one program only. After the first semester, the student may apply and be accepted to the second degree program desired.

Second Graduate Degrees

University policy prohibits the awarding of more than one degree from a specific degree program due to the overlap of core requirements of that degree program. Students should seek guidance from their advisers or their college when choosing to pursue a double major or dual degree. This policy applies to both current and readmitted students.

Distinction between Dual and Joint Degrees

Joint degree programs provide students the opportunity to earn graduate degrees from two academic programs concurrently. Students completing joint degrees receive two diplomas, one for each degree.

In addition to academic program requirements, joint degree programs provide for some cross-credit of a specified number of hours from each of the two degree programs. This enables students who are admitted and enrolled in two programs concurrently to, in effect, “save” on the number of total hours required versus those required when completing the two degrees separately. The development and initial approval of all joint degree programs resides with the program faculty in the specific schools and colleges involved.

Applicants must complete an application to the Office of Graduate Admissions and must be admitted to each academic program separately, meeting all of the admission requirements for that program, such as applicable entrance exams (e.g., GRE, GMAT, LSAT). Interested students contact respective degree programs for specific admissions requirements and programs of study.

Dual Degrees are two degrees earned simultaneously when a student is accepted by both a department/programs and is approved by appropriate deans and the Dean of the Graduate School. A student must be admitted to one academic program initially, and after the first semester, may apply and be accepted to the second degree program. There is no formal relationship between the two degree program requirements in a dual degree situation.

Master’s Degree Programs

Degrees Offered

The University confers at the master’s level the Master of Arts (MA), Master of Science (MS), Master of Accounting (MAcc), Master of Business Administration (MBA), Master of Engineering (MEng), Master of Fine Arts (MFA), Master of Music (MM), Master of Music Education (MME), Master of Public Administration (MPA), Master of Public Health (MPH), Master of Science in Planning (MSP), Master of Social Work (MSW), Specialist in Education (EdS), and Specialist (SPE) degrees.

The minimum requirements stated below govern all of these degrees except the EdS, the SPE, and the MFA degrees. Individual departments may have additional or specific requirements over and above those stated here. Consult the appropriate departmental section of this Graduate Bulletin for details.

Types of Programs

There are two types of programs by which a student may secure a master’s degree: the thesis type and the course type. It is optional with any department whether it requires all majors to proceed under one or the other type, or whether it permits individual students to choose between them. For specific information, consult the appropriate departmental section of this Graduate Bulletin.

Thesis-Type Program. To qualify for a master’s degree under this program, the student must complete a minimum of thirty semester hours of credit including thesis credit. At least eighteen of these hours must be taken on a letter-grade basis (A, B, C). The minimum/maximum number of thesis hours for completion of a master’s degree shall be six hours.

Course-Type Program. To qualify for a master’s degree under this program, the student must complete a minimum of thirty-two semester hours of coursework. At least twenty-one of these hours must be taken on a letter-grade basis (A, B, C).

Requirements at Master’s Level

At the master’s level students are expected to demonstrate an understanding and make sense of the core knowledge needed to function in their professional field. Master’s level students are expected to demonstrate an understanding of the research process, and/or creative or problem-solving activity or application of the knowledge appropriate to their discipline. The student is held responsible for meeting the requirements listed below.

Standardized (Advanced and Achievement) Tests

Certain departments require the area or advanced tests of the Graduate Record Examinations or other standardized achievement tests. These tests should be taken no later than during the first term of residence in graduate study. Consult the chair of the major department for details.

Transfer Credit

Transfer of courses not counted toward a previous degree from another regionally accredited graduate school is limited to six semester hours and transfer of courses not counted toward a previous degree within Florida State University is limited to twelve semester hours, except when the departmental course requirement exceeds the thirty-two hour University-wide minimum requirement. In the latter case, additional transfer credit may be allowed to the extent of the additional required hours. In all cases, the majority of credit must be earned through Florida State University or its official consortial institutions. All transfer credit must: l) be recommended by the major department; 2) be evaluated as graduate work by the evaluation section of the Office of Admissions of Florida State University; and 3) have been completed with grades of 3.0 (“B”) or better.

Grades earned at another institution cannot be used to improve a grade point average or eliminate a quality point deficiency at Florida State University.

The University does not accept experiential learning, or award credit for experiential learning. Transfer credit based on experiential learning from another institution will not be accepted.

General Course Requirements

The distribution of hours among 4000-, 5000-, and 6000- level courses and above is determined by the college or school of the student’s major department. Only courses numbered 5000 and above are normally to be taken by graduate students. A graduate student’s directive committee or department may, however, permit the student to take specified 4000 level courses in the degree program. Such 4000 level courses may be credited toward a graduate degree.

Language Requirements

There is no University-wide foreign language requirement for the master’s degree, except for the Master of Arts (MA) degree. Each department sets its own language requirements.

Residence Requirements

There is no University-wide residence requirement for the master’s degree beyond that implicit in the limitation upon transfer credit, the recency of work requirement, and the full-time student load requirement. Master’s candidates are advised that some programs and departments may impose a stricter rule of residency as required by the specific program of study.

Recency of Work

The work for the master’s degree must be completed within seven years from the time the student first registers for graduate credit. Any graduate work transferred from another institution must have commenced not more than seven years prior to completion of the degree for the credits to be applicable to the master’s degree.

Program of Study

As early as possible during the first term of graduate work, students should prepare a program of courses with the help of their major professor or supervisory committee. This program must be approved by the major professor and the chair of the major department. A copy of the approved program is to be kept on file in the department.

Major Professors

At the earliest opportunity, the student should follow the convention of the major department or college to identify the major professor, who will serve as the student’s adviser and supervisor. If nine or more semester hours of work are taken in any department other than the major one, these hours may be considered a minor if so desired by the student and by the major department. Designation of the major professor requires the mutual consent of the student, department chair, and professor involved.

Supervisory Committee

A master’s degree supervisory committee must be designated for all thesis students and may be designated for non-thesis students at the option of the department. The supervisory committee consists of at least three members: the major professor and one or two additional members from the major department. Additional members may be appointed if deemed desirable. All members of the committee must hold at least Graduate Faculty status. The department or college must enter the composition of the supervisory committee into the online Graduate Student Tracking system in a timely manner, but no later than the second week of classes in the semester that the student intends to graduate. Only members of the supervisory committee may vote and sign the Manuscript Signature Form indicating approval of the thesis.

Prospectus

A thesis-type program may require preparation and submission of a prospectus to the student’s major professor, supervisory committee, and departmental chair for approval. Students are reminded to seek Institutional Review Board (IRB) and/or Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) approval prior to commencing any research involving human or animal subjects.

Thesis

The subject of the thesis must be within the major field and must reveal independent investigation and knowledge of the methods of scholarship. It is the responsibility of the major professor to supervise the preparation of the prospectus and the thesis. The manuscript must be prepared according to the style and form prescribed by the department and must conform to the University requirements regarding format. Formatting and clearance guidelines for the final electronic submission copy may be accessed at the Graduate School’s Blackboard GradSpace and/or Faculty/Staff sites, or by contacting the manuscript clearance adviser.

A student who enrolls in thesis hours need not be enrolled continuously thereafter in thesis hours if they meet the minimum university requirement for full-time or part-time enrollment through other coursework. A student must be enrolled in a minimum of two thesis hours in the final semester. The minimum number of thesis hours required for the master’s degree is six. Those with underload permission must register for at least two credit hours of thesis per semester. Underloads must be approved by the student’s academic dean. Before registering for thesis hours, the student must consult the major professor as to the proportion of time to be devoted to thesis work.

The thesis should be in the hands of the major professor and the examining committee at least ten days before the date of the oral examination. After approval by the oral examining committee, which includes or may be the same as the supervisory committee, the student should electronically submit the final version of the thesis to the manuscript clearance adviser. The final approved version of the thesis must be submitted electronically to the university manuscript clearance adviser in the Graduate School within sixty days of the defense date or the student must be re-examined. If the student wishes University Microfilms International, Inc. to register the copyright, an additional fee must be paid. Consult the Registration Guide for the deadline dates.

As a condition of undertaking a thesis master’s program, the student agrees that the completed thesis will be archived in the University Libraries system. The student will make the electronic thesis available for review by other scholars and the general public by selecting an access condition provided by the Graduate School.

Comprehensive Examination

A comprehensive or other type examination, either written, oral, or both, at the option of the department, may be required for the master’s degree. Testing requirements and procedures are established by the major department.

Special Master of Arts (MA) Requirements

In addition to the requirements listed above, candidates for the Master of Arts (MA) degree must meet the following requirements.

1. Proficiency in a foreign language demonstrated by certification by the appropriate language department, or completion of twelve semester hours in a foreign language with an average grade of at least 3.0 (“B”), or four years of a single language in high school.
2. Six or more semester hours of graduate credit in one or more of the following fields: art; classical language, literature, and civilization; communication (not to include speech correction); English; history; humanities; modern languages and linguistics; music; philosophy; religion; and theatre.

Doctoral Degree Programs

Degrees Offered

The University offers the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Doctor of Education (EdD), Doctor of Music (DM), Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) with degrees in several departments of the College of Arts and Sciences, College of Business, College of Communication and Information, College of Criminology and Criminal Justice, College of Education, FAMU—FSU College of Engineering, College of Human Sciences, College of Music, College of Nursing, College of Social Sciences and Public Policy, College of Social Work, College of Visual Arts, Theatre and Dance, as well as in several interdepartmental and interdivisional areas. See relevant sections of this Graduate Bulletin.

Requirements of the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Degree

The student is held responsible for meeting the requirements listed below.

The PhD is a research degree designed to produce the critical scholar. The degree is granted only to students who: l) have mastered definite fields of knowledge so that they are familiar not only with what has been done in their specific fields but also with the potential and opportunity for further advances; 2) have demonstrated capacity to do original and independent scholarly investigation or creative work in their selected fields; and 3) have the ability to integrate their selected fields of specialization with the larger domains of knowledge and understanding.

Admission

Admission in the formal sense is governed by the same minimum standards as stated in the “Admissions” chapter of this Graduate Bulletin. However, a special effort is made by the departments to select and to admit only those who appear clearly qualified for studies at this advanced graduate level.

Diagnostic Examination

The student who has been admitted to work toward the doctoral degree may, before the end of the second semester of post-baccalaureate study, be required to take a departmentally administered diagnostic examination. It will be designed to appraise the student’s ability to pursue the PhD degree in the field and to facilitate counseling in the development of the student’s program of studies.

The department will notify the Office of the University Registrar if the diagnostic examination is failed and the student’s program is to be terminated.

Residence

The intent of the residency requirement is to ensure that doctoral students contribute to and benefit from the complete spectrum of educational, professional, and enrichment opportunities provided on the campus of a comprehensive university. When establishing residency the student should interact with faculty and peers by regularly attending courses, conferences, or seminars, and utilize the library and laboratory facilities provided for graduate education.

After having finished thirty semester hours of graduate work or being awarded the master’s degree, the student must be continuously enrolled on Florida State University Tallahassee campus for a minimum of twenty-four graduate semester hours of credit in any period of twelve consecutive months. In cooperative degree programs involving two or more universities, residence requirements may differ from the foregoing only with the approval of the graduate policy committee and the Dean of the Graduate School. Students in such programs should check residence requirements with their departmental chairs or program leaders.

The College of Education and the art education program in the College of Visual Arts, Theatre, and Dance permit EdD students, if they so desire, to complete their residency requirement by registering for thirty credits during a sixteen-month period.

Transfer Credit Policy

Transfer Credit

Transfer of courses not counted toward a previous degree from another regionally accredited graduate school is limited to six semester hours and transfer of courses not counted toward a previous degree within Florida State University is limited to twelve semester hours, except when the departmental course requirement exceeds the thirty-two hour University-wide minimum requirement. In the latter case, additional transfer credit may be allowed to the extent of the additional required hours. In all cases, the majority of credit must be earned through Florida State University or its official consortial institutions. All transfer credit must: l) be recommended by the major department; 2) be evaluated as graduate work by the evaluation section of the Office of Admissions of Florida State University; and 3) have been completed with grades of 3.0 (“B”) or better.

Grades earned at another institution cannot be used to improve a grade point average or eliminate a quality point deficiency at Florida State University.

The University does not accept experiential learning, or award credit for experiential learning. Transfer credit based on experiential learning from another institution will not be accepted.

Course Requirements

Because the PhD degree represents the attainment of independent and comprehensive scholarship in a selected field rather than the earning of a specific amount of credit, there is no University-wide minimum course requirement beyond that implied by the residence requirement. Individual programs are planned to increase the likelihood that prior to students reaching the preliminary examinations they will have gained sufficient mastery of their field to complete them successfully.

Major Professor

Early in the doctoral program, the student should consult with the professors under whom the student may be interested in working and from whose areas of competency a dissertation topic could be selected. The student should request that the selected faculty member serve as major professor. The departmental chair will approve the major professor who must be a member of the faculty with Graduate Faculty status (GFS) and have special competence in the student’s proposed area of concentration. The appointment must be mutually agreeable to the student, major professor, and departmental chair.

Supervisory Committee

Upon the request of the major professor, the departmental chair will appoint the supervisory committee which will be in charge of the work of the student until the completion of all requirements for the degree. The supervisory committee will consist of a minimum of four members of the faculty who have Graduate Faculty status, one of whom is the university representative of the faculty. Programs may establish a more stringent policy on supervisory committee membership but such policies may not conflict with the University policy. For example, a program may choose to stipulate that more than the minimum number of committee members hold Graduate Faculty status in the program, or must be members of the tenure-track faculty. If deemed desirable and not established by policy it may also be appropriate to include additional members to provide necessary expertise. All additional members of the committee must hold Graduate Faculty status or (in the case of non tenure track faculty) co-doctoral or co-master’s status. Under special circumstances persons external to the University may be appointed as Courtesy Faculty with co-doctoral or co-master’s status and serve on a student’s supervisory committee. The department or college must enter the composition of the supervisory committee into the online Graduate Student Tracking system in a timely manner, but no later than the second week of classes in the semester that the student intends to graduate. Each year the supervisory committee, the major professor, or the student’s adviser prior to selection of a major professor will assess the progress of the student in writing and will make available copies of the annual review to the student, the departmental chair, and the academic dean. The Dean of the Graduate School, the academic dean, and the chair of the major department may attend committee meetings as nonvoting members. Notification of the supervisory committee membership will be reported to the Dean of the Graduate School in a timely manner after its formation. Only members of the supervisory committee may vote and sign the dissertation.

University Representative

The university representative is drawn from outside the student’s department, as well as outside the student’s degree program for interdisciplinary programs. The university representative must be a tenured member of the faculty with Graduate Faculty status and should be free of conflicts of interest with other members of the supervisory committee. The university representative is responsible for ensuring that the student is treated fairly and equitably in accordance with University, College, and Departmental guidelines and policies, and that decisions made by the supervisory committee reflect the collective judgment of the committee. This responsibility begins with appointment to the supervisory committee and ends with the defense of the dissertation. The university representative should verify that the defense is conducted appropriately. Content knowledge in the subject of the dissertation is valuable for the university representative, but not required. In addition, the university representative represents the University’s interest and is responsible for ensuring that our doctoral graduates are of high quality. If questions or irregularities arise that cannot be resolved within the college, the university representative should contact the Dean of the Graduate School for resolution.

Program of Study

As soon as possible, the student, under the supervision of a designated adviser or major professor, should prepare and receive approval of a plan of courses to be taken. This Program of Study must be signed by the faculty adviser or major professor and the chair of the major department. A copy of the student’s approved Program of Study is to be kept on file in the department. At the time of the annual review, changes to the plan should be noted and approved. Once designated, the supervisory committee should be included as part of the approval process for any changes to the Program of Study.

Language and Statistical Analysis Requirements

There are no University-wide foreign language, statistics, or other tool requirements for the PhD degree. Each department prescribes its own requirements.

The procedures for testing foreign language proficiency are set by the department prescribing the requirements. The Department of Classical Languages, Literature, and Civilization prepares and administers the examinations in Greek and Latin. For departments allowing foreign students to use English in satisfaction of language requirements but unwilling to accept satisfactory completion of their departmental courses as sufficient demonstration of language competency, the University’s Office of Assessment Services will administer the Educational Testing Services Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) which certifies comparative attainment. Foreign students deficient in English may be referred to the foreign language education program of the College of Education for coursework, and the completion of that coursework will be accepted as an indication of competency. Examinations for other approved languages are prepared and administered by the Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics.

The language courses numbered 5060 are service courses designed to prepare the student for the language exemption examinations. The student may take these courses as many times as needed. Students will use the 5069 courses to register for the examination.

When proficiency in statistical analysis is permitted or required, the criteria shall be established by the Department of Statistics. This proficiency can be met by satisfactory grades in STA 5126, by passing the statistics department’s proficiency examination, or by other procedures approved by the chair of the Department of Statistics.

These instruments afford means of continuing access to the materials and literature of research; therefore, the candidate should acquire competency in them early in the doctoral program.

Preliminary Examination

Satisfactory completion of a preliminary examination shall be required for admission to candidacy for the doctoral degree. No student may register for dissertation or doctoral treatise hours prior to the point in the semester in which the preliminary examination was passed. An admission to candidacy form must be completed and filed in the Office of the University Registrar prior to registration for dissertation/treatise hours. After completion of the admission to candidacy process, the student may retroactively add dissertation hours for that semester in which the preliminary examination was completed. Retroactive changes are only permitted if the preliminary examination is passed by the end of the seventh week of the semester. For term specific deadline dates, please refer to the “Academic Calendar” in the Registration Guide.

The preliminary examination is designed to test scholarly competence and knowledge and to afford the examiners the basis for constructive recommendations concerning the student’s subsequent formal or informal study. The form and content of this examination will be determined by the department, college, school, or examining committee (typically, but not necessarily the same composition as the supervisory committee) administering the degree program. Prior to the examination, the student’s examining committee will determine whether the student 1) has a 3.0 average, and 2) has progressed sufficiently in the study of the discipline and its research tools to begin independent research in the area of the proposed dissertation.

The chair of the major department, the academic dean, and the Dean of the Graduate School may attend any session of the supervisory or examining committee as nonvoting members. A member may be appointed to the examining committee at the discretion of the academic dean or Dean of the Graduate School or on recommendation of the major professor. Normally, the examining committee will be identical with the supervisory committee.

The examining committee will report the outcome of the examination to the academic dean: passed, failed, additional work to be completed, or to be reexamined; the report following the reexamination must indicate the student either passed or failed. The results of the examination will be reported to the Office of the University Registrar for inclusion in the student’s permanent record.

Time Limit for Completion of Degree Requirements

All requirements for the doctoral degree must be completed within five calendar years from the time the student passes the preliminary examination, or the student’s supervisory committee will require that a new preliminary examination be passed.

Admission to Candidacy

A student who has passed the preliminary examination and has been certified to the Office of the University Registrar (with an admission to candidacy form) is considered a candidate for the doctoral degree and is eligible to register for dissertation credits.

A student must be admitted to candidacy at least six months prior to the granting of the degree. The purpose of this requirement is to ensure a minimal lapse of time for effective work on the dissertation after acquisition of the basic competence and after delineation of the problem and method of attack. More realistically, the student should expect to spend a year or more of work on the dissertation.

Prospectus

After passing the preliminary examination, the student may be required by the department to submit to the major professor, supervisory committee, and departmental chair a prospectus on a research project suitable for a doctoral dissertation. Students are reminded to seek Institutional Review Board (IRB) and/or Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) approval prior to commencing any research involving human or animal subjects.

Dissertation

A doctoral dissertation must be completed on some topic connected with the major field of study. To be acceptable it must be an achievement in original research constituting a significant contribution to knowledge and represent a substantial scholarly effort on the part of the student.

It is the responsibility of the major professor to supervise the preparation of the prospectus and the dissertation. The manuscript must be prepared according to the style and form prescribed by the department and must conform to the University requirements regarding format. Formatting and clearance guidelines for the final electronic submission copy may be accessed from the ‘Graduate School’ Blackboard GradSpace and/or Faculty/Staff sites, or by contacting the manuscript clearance adviser.

A student who has completed the required coursework, passed the Preliminary Examination and submitted an Admission to Candidacy form to the Office of the Registrar, and continues to use campus facilities and/or receives faculty supervision, but has not made a final dissertation submission shall include in the required full-time load a minimum of two credit hours of dissertation per semester until completion of the degree. Those with underload permission must register for at least two credit hours of dissertation per semester. Underloads must be approved by the student’s academic dean. Before registering for dissertation hours, the student must consult the major professor as to the proportion of time to be devoted to dissertation work.

In accordance with the Residence requirement the minimum number of dissertation hours for completion of a doctoral degree shall be twenty-four credit hours.

For more specific information on final-semester registration, see the section Registration for Final Term. Final approval of the dissertation by the entire supervisory committee is prerequisite to the awarding of the degree. This is true no matter how many hours a student has completed in dissertation or what grades have been recorded for the dissertation hours.

As a condition of undertaking a dissertation program, the student agrees that the completed dissertation will be archived in the University Libraries system. The student will make the electronic dissertation available for review by other scholars and the general public by selecting an access condition provided by the Graduate School.

Examination in Defense of Dissertation

The defense of the dissertation will be oral. Responsibility for suggesting the time, designating the place, and presiding at the examination rests with the major professor. It is recommended that students defend no later than the eighth week of classes in the semester of intent to graduate. Students must defend by no later than the Format Approval Deadline in the semester of intent to graduate. Consult the Graduate School Blackboard site GradSpace for more information.

Academic courtesy requires that the dissertation be submitted to each member of the supervisory committee at least four weeks before the date of the oral examination. The supervisory committee, the chair of the major department, and such other members of the faculty as may be appointed by the academic dean will conduct the examination. All members of the graduate faculty are invited to attend. At least two weeks prior to the date of the examination, the student or major professor will present an announcement of the dissertation title and the date and place of the examination to the Graduate School. Consult the Registration Guide for the deadline dates.

All committee members and the student must attend the entire defense in real time, either by being physically present or participating via distance technology. Individual departments may impose stricter requirements on physical attendance, e.g., all members must be physically present. Departments and other degree-granting programs must publicize their policy on defense attendance in their Graduate Student Handbook and in the relevant section of the Graduate Bulletin. If exceptional emergency circumstances, e.g. medical or other emergency situations, prevent the participation of a committee member, then it may be necessary to arrange for an additional appropriately qualified colleague to attend the defense. A minimum of four members with Graduate Faculty Status must participate.

The oral examining committee will certify in writing to the academic dean of the major department the results of the examination: passed, failed, or to be reexamined. The report of results following a reexamination must indicate the student either passed or failed. To receive a passing grade, the written dissertation must be in final form or require only minor revisions at the time of the defense. A grade of PASS for the defense of treatise or dissertation requires at least a majority approval of the committee. Individual departments may impose stricter requirements for what constitutes a grade of PASS. Departments and other degree-granting programs must publicize their policy on this issue in their Graduate Student Handbook and in the relevant section of the Graduate Bulletin. If the student passes, each member must sign the Manuscript Signature Form to substantiate the results of the defense. It is the responsibility of the major professor to submit this completed form either directly to the Clearance Adviser or to the appropriate college or departmental office for subsequent delivery to the Clearance Adviser in the Graduate School. A written critique of the conduct of the examination in defense of the dissertation should be submitted by the university representative from the graduate faculty to the appropriate academic dean and the Dean of the Graduate School within one week after the date of defense. The degree cannot be awarded until both forms have been received by the Graduate School and the final version of the manuscript has been submitted to and approved by the Clearance Adviser.

The final version of the dissertation that is approved by the supervisory committee must be submitted electronically to the university manuscript clearance adviser in the Graduate School within sixty days of the defense date or the student must be re-examined. A manuscript processing fee is charged.

Publication of Dissertation

Publication of the dissertation through standard media for scholarly work is encouraged. To ensure at least minimum availability of the work, an acceptable and approved abstract of the dissertation and a copy of the dissertation submitted to the manuscript clearance adviser will be sent to University Microfilms International, Inc. The abstract will be published in Dissertation Abstracts International and the dissertation will be microfilmed. If the student wishes University Microfilms International, Inc., to register the copyright, an additional fee must be paid.

Guidelines for Restrictions on the Release of Theses and Dissertations

The free and open dissemination of the results of research conducted at Florida State University is required if the University is to contribute effectively to the education of its students and to the body of human knowledge. Conflicts can develop among the interests of research sponsors, research directors, and the students doing the research. To ensure that the interests of all parties are protected, the following guidelines should be observed.

Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETDs) must be made available in their complete and original format. They cannot be subdivided into chapters and disseminated under different distribution options.

Worldwide Distribution. Recommended to all of our students. This option makes the ETD freely available worldwide via the FSU ETD Digital Library. It should be noted that some publishers may see a conflict with this level of distribution prior to publication.

Embargoed Access (Twenty–four Months). Recommended to students who have a patent application in process or who want to restrict access to the ETD for a limited amount of time in order to pursue commercial interests or other publication. After the restricted time period, the document will be made freely available through worldwide distribution (option above).

The maximum delay in the release of a thesis, treatise, or dissertation to the university libraries and UMI/PQIL shall not exceed twenty-four months from the date the thesis, treatise, or dissertation is approved by the FSU Graduate School. In special circumstance, the Dean of the Graduate School may grant an additional delay of forty-eight months in twenty-four month increments, if the case is made that the delay is in the best interest of all parties or if publication or commercial interest in the document is still ongoing. Such a request must be submitted at least one month prior to the expiration of the original period of delay.

A request for such a delay must be presented in writing, through the use of the ETD Embargo Access Form, to the Dean of the Graduate School and carry the endorsement of the student, the major professor, the department or program chair, and the dean of the relevant college or school.

It should be recognized that adherence to this policy does not constitute a guarantee that information in the sequestered thesis or dissertation will not be disseminated by means other than the written thesis or dissertation.

Information about particular access issues related to electronic theses, treatises, and dissertations may be obtained from the Graduate School.

Note: Students should not suffer delays in their normal academic progress, including the final defense of the thesis or dissertation, as a result of a desire to delay release of the thesis or dissertation to the library.

Campus Community-Only Access

The FSU Digital Library, in cooperation with the FSU Graduate School, will offer restricted access to ETDs at FSU. Students may choose to limit access to their ETD on FSU’s campus only via Internet Protocol (IP) range restrictions, and can select whether their dissertation should be available via Interlibrary Loan.

Please note that approval for Campus Community-Only Access is not automatic. Students must provide “reasonable justification” for their request. Also, in order to be granted Campus Community-Only Access, students must receive approval from their Major Professor in the form of a signature on the ETD Access Embargo Form.

Final approval may be granted by the Dean of the Graduate School only after the ETD Access Embargo Form is submitted to the Graduate School with appropriate signatures and justification. The ETD Access Embargo form can be found on the Graduate School Blackboard sites, GradSpace and/or Graduate School – Faculty/Staff, under the submenu “Theses, Treatises, Dissertations.”

Document Security Access

The FSU Digital Library, in cooperation with the FSU Graduate School, will offer students the option of protecting the ETD by designating specific Document Properties via Permissions Password Security Method within Adobe.

The Document Security policy enables students to secure their manuscript to be placed on FSU’s ETD database, with the following restrictions: no printing, no changing the document, no document assembly, no content copying or extraction, no commenting, no filling of form fields, signing, or no creation of template pages. Students are not allowed to select which Document Security Access options they would like to utilize. If a student wishes to secure their manuscript, all Document Security Access options will be employed.

Students must select this option on their ETD Access Embargo Form. The ETD Access Embargo form can be found on the The Graduate School Blackboard sites, GradSpace and/or Graduate School – Faculty/Staff, under the submenu “Theses, Treatises, Dissertations.” Document Security Access can be used in conjunction with World Wide Access, Embargo Access or Campus Community-Only Access.

Once the student’s ETD is submitted, the manuscript clearance adviser will make the requested changes to the student’s ETD. Students must NOT make these changes to their manuscript before submission to the ETD Drop Box.

Requirements of the Doctor of Education (EdD) Degree

The EdD degree is offered by the College of Education, the College of Music, and the College of Visual Arts, Theatre and Dance.

Potential candidates for this professional degree are selected on the basis of experience, skills, and goals of the students seeking admission to the programs in which the degree is offered.

Such students will ordinarily have had some years of teaching or academic administrative experience and have shown some promise of being able to develop their pedagogical or administrative skills through further research and training. The College of Education permits, as part of its experience requirement, the completion of a practicum, undertaken during the period of doctoral studies, in which the student engages in doctoral work-related activities within an external agency. Once the degree has been earned, its possessor should be able to perform the tasks of the profession with a high degree of efficiency.

The EdD degree is further distinguished from the PhD degree by the nature of specific training (although there may be a core of studies common to the two curricula) and by that of the dissertation.

The training is designed to fit the goals of individual students under the careful guidance of a supervisory committee; since the purpose of the dissertation is to provide solutions to educational problems as they arise in the field, it shall be designed to deal with methodological or administrative procedures capable of providing such solutions. Students are therefore advised that their programs must include enough methodological inquiry to establish a basis for the procedures used to arrive at their conclusions.

In light of the above, the distinction between the EdD and PhD degrees cannot be made solely on the basis of research tool requirements. Depending on the dissertation project proposed, the candidate’s supervisory committee may require as much training in such research tools as statistics, foreign languages, computer languages, or other programming techniques as necessary to complete the project.

The provisions of this section indicate steps leading to the EdD degree that differ from those leading to the PhD degree.

Requirements of the Doctor of Music (DM) Degree

The DM degree is offered to a candidate who demonstrates superior ability in music as a composer or performer. A candidate is admitted on the basis of creative aptitude and professional achievement. The degree is awarded to a candidate who has achieved distinction in performance or composition and who completes relevant theoretical and historical studies. Requirements for the degree are listed in the “College of Music” chapter of this Graduate Bulletin.

Requirements of the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Degree

For more information, please refer to the “College of Nursing” chapter of this Graduate Bulletin.

Professional Degree Programs

Requirements of the Doctor of Medicine (MD) Degree

Candidates for the MD degree must:

• Be able to fully perform the essential functions in each of the following categories: Observation, Communication, Motor, Intellectual, and Behavioral/Social Attributes as described in the College’s Technical Standards for the admission and educational processes
• Successfully complete all required and elective courses and clerkships, Years One through Four
• Pass the USMLE Step 1, Step2 CK, and Step 2CS
• Complete all requirements listed in the procedure’s log including CME Conference attendance, all listed procedures, ACLS, and BLS
• Complete all required surveys
• Be a “student in good standing” in the Spring semester of the Fourth Year

The Student Evaluation and Promotion Committee reviews the academic record of all fourth-year students in the Spring semester of the Fourth Year and verifies that all requirements have been met by each student. The results are submitted to the Executive Committee for consideration. The Executive Committee certifies the candidates are eligible to receive the Doctor of Medicine Degree.

For more information, please refer to the “College of Medicine” chapter of this Graduate Bulletin.

Requirements of the Juris Doctor (JD) Degree

The Juris Doctor (JD) degree is awarded by the College of Law to students who have satisfactorily completed coursework and related requirements equivalent to three academic years of full-time enrollment.

Potential candidates for this professional degree are selected on the basis of Law School Admission Test (LSAT) scores, undergraduate grades, letters of recommendation, and goals of the students seeking admission, as communicated by personal statements. Successful completion of a bachelor’s degree program at a regionally accredited institution is a prerequisite for law school admission.

The legal curriculum is designed to fit the goal of providing students with the professional skills and core knowledge necessary to engage in legal or law-related careers, while complying with standards prescribed by the American Bar Association and the Florida Bar. The first-year curriculum is comprised entirely of required courses in core subjects, and the second- and third-year curricula are primarily comprised of elective courses. Apart from the first-year curriculum, graduation requirements include coursework related to professional responsibility, upper-level legal writing and skills training, as well as pro bono service.

For more information, please refer to the “College of Law” chapter of this Graduate Bulletin.

Graduation of Master’s and Doctoral Students

Academic Standards

A graduate student is not eligible for conferral of a degree unless the cumulative grade point average is at least 3.0 in formal graduate courses. No course hours with a grade below “C–” will be credited on the graduate degree; all grades in graduate courses except those for which grades of “S” or “U” are given or those conferred under the provision for repeating a course will be included in computation of the average. All conditions of admission must be met; in addition there are usually other departmental requirements which must be met.

Faculty Academic Judgment

Master’s Degree

Successful completion of coursework constituting the student’s program of studies, comprehensive exam or thesis does not guarantee award of the master’s degree. Faculty judgment of the academic performance of the student is inherent in the educational process in determining whether the award of the master’s degree or admission into a higher level degree program is warranted.

Doctoral Degree

Successful completion of coursework constituting the student’s program of studies, comprehensive exam, preliminary exams, defense of prospectus, and defense of dissertation does not guarantee award of the doctoral degree. Faculty judgment of the academic performance of the student is inherent in the educational process in determining whether admission to doctoral candidacy and the award of the doctoral degree is warranted.

Registration for Final Term

For doctoral students and master’s students in a thesis-type program, registration shall be required in the final term in which a degree requiring a thesis, dissertation, or treatise is granted, in accordance with the policies stated in the ‘Thesis’ and ‘Dissertation’ sections of this chapter.

If a non-thesis student needs only to complete the comprehensive examination in a term and did not register for the examination in the previous term, registration must be requested from the Office of the University Registrar stating the department and the name of the examination. The student must pay the “examination only” fee. If the student has not been enrolled for the previous two terms, readmission is required before registration.

Clearance for Degrees

Guidelines and Requirements for Electronic Theses, Treatises, and Dissertations may be accessed at the Graduate School Blackboard GradSpace and/or Graduate School – Faculty/Staff sites, or by contacting the manuscript clearance adviser.

During the first two weeks of the term in which a candidate expects to receive a degree, application should be made for a diploma at the Office of the University Registrar. If a candidate previously filed for a diploma but did not receive the degree, the application procedure must be repeated.

For a complete list of requirements necessary in order for thesis, treatise and dissertation-writing student’s manuscripts to be cleared for graduation, students should download a manuscript specific checklist from the Graduate School GradSpace Web site. Faculty and staff are able to view and download these checklists off the Graduate School Web site, Graduate School – Faculty/Staff. These checklists outline all steps necessary for the student’s manuscript to be cleared by the manuscript clearance adviser. No candidate is eligible for the degree until this requirement has been met. Additional requirements may be imposed by individual programs or departments.

For additional information, students may access the Graduate School Blackboard site, GradSpace, under the submenu, “Manuscript Clearance.” Faculty and staff may access the Graduate School Blackboard site, Graduate School – Faculty/Staff, under the submenu, “Manuscript Clearance.” Any additional questions should be directed to the clearance adviser (clearance@mailer.fsu.edu">clearance@mailer.fsu.edu). Consult the Registration Guide for the current deadline dates.

Policy for Awarding Degrees

The Florida State University helps students meet their academic goals by monitoring academic progress toward their degree.

If a graduate student has completed his or her respective degree requirements, the Academic Dean of the student’s program confirms this, and the student is eligible to be awarded the degree, the University reserves the right to award the degree. Once the degree is awarded, the student must be readmitted to Florida State University in order to enroll in any courses.

Graduate students pursuing dual degrees in different disciplines must obtain formal approval of their academic dean, following established University procedures for such approvals. The student’s degree program, not the major, will appear on the diploma. A list of degree programs is available in the “Academic Degree and Certificate Programs” chapter of this Graduate Bulletin.

Should the University invoke its prerogative to award a degree once a student has completed all stated degree requirements, the student may appeal this decision. If the student can demonstrate that continued enrollment is necessary to achieve his or her academic goals, the appeal may be granted. Reasons such as, but not limited to, desire to continue financial aid, participate in student activities, and access student services do not constitute legitimate reasons for appeal. The student’s transcript will reflect both the degree program and the major when degrees are posted.

Any graduate student who wishes to appeal for continued enrollment, thereby postponing graduation, must submit a written request to the student’s academic dean no later than ten class days after being notified that the University is invoking its right to award the degree. This appeal will be reviewed by a committee composed of the student’s primary academic dean the Dean of the Graduate School, and the University Registrar. The committee must find evidence to support the student’s claim of a legitimate academic need in order to grant permission to continue taking courses.