Graduate Degree and Certificate Requirements

Prerequisites for All Graduate Degrees

Graduate work in any academic unit 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 conduct graduate work in the chosen field.

A student is expected to have sufficient command of the English language to enable the student to organize subject matter and to present it in credible 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:

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of the Academic Honor Policy shall include representing another's work or any part thereof, be it published or unpublished, as one's own” - Office of Faculty Development and Advancement website, Faculty Handbook. Appendix A: Florida State University Academic Honor Policy;
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;
Professional editing services may not become a substitute for faculty advisement and should be confined to language structure;
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 advisor before incorporating any advice obtained through the above-mentioned services into written work;
In all cases, such assistance must be noted in the acknowledgments accompanying the final version of a paper, thesis, or dissertation.

Review of Theses, Dissertations, and Treatises

Theses, treatises, and dissertations are expected to reflect original work. The review of academic integrity should be completed prior to the defense. Faculty may choose to use appropriate plagiarism checkers and peer review tools with early drafts of these manuscripts as an instructional aid in advising students on matters relating to plagiarism. Issues of plagiarism and copyright should be addressed prior to submitting the manuscript to The Graduate School for manuscript clearance. The approvals of all committee members appearing on the online Defense Decision Form constitute testimony from the committee that they are satisfied that the thesis, dissertation, or treatise meets FSU's standards of academic integrity as described in the FSU Academic Honor Code and appropriate steps have been taken to assure that this is the case.

Language of Theses, Dissertations, and Treatises

The typical language of the thesis, treatise, or dissertation is English. Under special circumstances the Major Professor, the Academic Unit Head, and the Supervisory Committee may approve writing the body of the thesis, treatise, or dissertation in a language other than English, if doing so is essential for scholarly reasons. Lack of sufficient English competency is not an acceptable justification for using an alternative language. The Major Professor shall immediately notify the Dean of the College and the Dean of the Graduate School for all cases where such approval has been granted. Notification requires completion of the ETD Alternative Language for the Dissertation/Treatise/Thesis Form found on The Graduate School's website. All committee members must be completely proficient in the alternative language. It is the responsibility of the Major Professor and the Supervisory Committee to ascertain that the candidate's thesis/dissertation is written in acceptable English or an alternative language, in an appropriate scholarly style. All non-English-language dissertations, treatises, or theses must have the preliminary pages and main section headings in English. This would include the content of the title page, committee page, acknowledgments, abstract and biographical sketch. All main section headings, including chapter and appendix headings, must be in English, but chapter/appendix titles may be in the chosen language.

Language of the Defense

The defense shall be conducted in English.

Graduate Students Enrolled for Two Degrees Simultaneously

Under certain special circumstances, it is possible for a student to work concurrently on two degrees in two different departments/units. Students intending to do this must be accepted by both departments/units. A Dual Enrollment Request Form, showing endorsement by both department/unit heads and dean(s), as appropriate, must be sent to the Dean of The Graduate School (or designee) for approval. The Dual Enrollment Request Form can be found on The Graduate School's website. Once approved, the Office of the University Registrar will be notified of the dual registration. Dual Enrollment Request Forms must be submitted for review/approval at the correct time to ensure proper advisement, prior to the graduate student completing 12 hours in the second degree program and before the student has reached the final semester and applied for graduation so there are no delays in graduation clearance.

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 advisors or their college when choosing to pursue a dual degree. This policy applies to both current and readmitted students.

Combined Bachelor's/Master's Pathways, Joint Graduate Pathways, and Dual Degrees

Note: If a student is effectively removed from a combined pathway or joint pathway, then there will be no sharing or double counting of credit hours. Any graduate coursework previously taken and shared/double-counted will no longer apply.

Combined Bachelor's/Master's Pathways. Combined bachelor's/master's pathways provide academically talented undergraduate students an opportunity to complete both a bachelor's and a master's degree. Upon approval, a combined bachelor's/master's pathway allows for up to 12 graduate hours to be shared with, or double-counted toward, an undergraduate degree program.

Joint Graduate Pathways. Joint graduate pathways provide qualified master's students with an opportunity to earn two master's degrees or master's/professional degrees from two academic degree programs. Joint graduate pathways share academic content that allows a student to expand their breadth of knowledge and content expertise to include additional domains not covered in a single degree. All post-baccalaureate degree programs must have at least 30 unique hours of coursework. Upon approval, joint graduate pathways allow graduate/professional courses in excess of the 30-hour minimum to be shared with, or double-counted, toward both degree programs.

Dual Degree Programs

Dual degrees are two degrees earned simultaneously when a student is accepted by both departments/programs and is approved by the appropriate academic deans and the Dean of The Graduate School (or designee). 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.

To ensure that students entering a second graduate degree program receive timely and effective advisement on a program of study approved by the second department, admission to the second graduate degree program must be approved before the student completes more than twelve credit hours of coursework that are counted in that department toward the second graduate degree. In special circumstances, students may petition their academic deans for an exception.

This limit of twelve credits earned only applies to students admitted to their first graduate degree program in the Fall 2014 semester and onwards.

Dual Enrollment Request Forms must be submitted for review/approval at the correct time to ensure proper advisement, prior to the graduate student completing 12 hours in the second degree program and before the student has reached the final semester and applied for graduation so there are no delays in graduation clearance. The Dual Enrollment Request Form can be found on The Graduate School's website.

Graduate-Level Certificate Programs

The university offers a variety of certificate programs, which consist of an organized curriculum of courses that lead to specific educational or occupational goals. Credit hour requirements for each graduate-level certificate may vary from 12 to 21 graduate hours. A list of all of the certificate programs offered by the university is available in the Academic Degree and Certificate Programs chapter of this Graduate Bulletin. In accordance with the Academic Standards Policy in the Graduate Bulletin, all graduate students pursuing a graduate-level certificate must achieve a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0 (“B”) or better across all graduate courses applied toward the graduate certificate (5000-level or above) in order for the graduate certificate to be awarded.

These certificate programs are generally considered professional in nature and the completion of these programs are noted on the student's official university transcript, if the following conditions are met:

The student must apply and be admitted into the certificate program to be officially recognized as pursuing the program by the university.
1. Some certificate programs may be restricted by degree level or offered only to degree-seeking students, while others are open to all enrolled graduate and post-baccalaureate non-degree students.
2. The admissions criteria may include previous educational background, grade point average, or other qualifications.
3. For formal admission requirements and procedures, students should contact the department offering the certificate program.
The student must apply to the certificate program prior to completing the second course in the program.
1. Completing the certification program coursework without proper admission to the program could jeopardize future enrollment opportunities in certificate program courses or the recognition of the completion of the certificate program by the university.
2. Once the student has been admitted to the certificate program, the department/unit will notify the Registrar's Office, so it is reflected on the student's official academic record.
3. Once the student has completed the last course required for the certificate program, the department/unit will notify the Registrar's Office and the certificate will be posted to the student's official transcript.

In the event that the student completes a degree program prior to completing the requirements for the certificate, the student would be required to be readmitted as a degree seeking or non-degree seeking student to complete the certificate program.

Note: Completion of undergraduate courses will not count toward a graduate certificate. Additionally, students completing an undergraduate degree may not enter a graduate certificate program unless they are admitted as a degree-seeking graduate student or post-baccalaureate non-degree student. Undergraduate students cannot start taking graduate courses for the graduate certificate until the bachelor's degree is awarded.

Master's Degree Programs

Degrees Offered

The University confers at the master's level the Juris Master (JM), Master of Laws (LLM), 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), Professional Science Master (PSM), and Specialist (SPE) degrees.

The minimum requirements stated below govern all of these degrees except the EdS, the PSM, the SPE, and the MFA degrees. Individual departments/units 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 three types of programs by which a student may secure a master's degree: thesis, coursework-only, and project. 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 Master's Program. A thesis-type master's program is focused on research and scholarship, culminating in written output in the form of the thesis. Thesis-type programs usually include graduate coursework in specific content areas, research methods, analysis, and theory. The scope of the thesis is discipline-specific and typically requires more than one semester of intensive work. A thesis clearly exceeds the requirements of a typical course paper and follows the traditional model of academic, publishable work (i.e., consists predominantly of written work). The thesis must present original research conducted by the student under the close supervision of the student's faculty supervisory committee.

To qualify for a master's degree under a thesis 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 number of thesis hours for completion of a master's degree shall be six hours.

Theses can only be completed by students in a thesis-type program and require two course codes: one for thesis credit hours and one for thesis defense. Graduate students pursuing a thesis-type program must adhere to all committee composition requirements set by the university and their academic unit. Additionally, students in a thesis-type program must electronically submit their manuscript to The Graduate School via ProQuest for format review and adhere to all manuscript clearance deadlines.

Coursework-Only Program. A coursework-only master's program may include capstone options such as comprehensive exams, graduate-level internships, or cumulative projects (written or creative). Coursework-only programs are not required to include one of these capstone options by the university. These capstone options exceed the scope of a typical course assignment but are smaller in scope than master's thesis or project-track. Typically, capstone experiences are completed at the end of the program under the supervision of one faculty member while students are registered for a capstone-type course. Each unit may choose its own nomenclature for the capstone option (including but not limited to: “capstone,” “capstone project,” “capstone experience,” or “comprehensive project”), as long as the terminology does not include the word “thesis” and is distinct from terminology chosen for the project programs within that unit.

To qualify for a coursework-only master's degree, the student must complete a minimum of thirty semester hours of credit. At least twenty-one of these hours must be taken on a letter-grade basis (A, B, C). In a coursework-only master's program, graduate students complete a degree broadly sampling discipline-specific and/or interdisciplinary content courses, theories, and methods.

Capstone options can only be completed by students in a coursework-only program and require one course code for the course during which the capstone experience is completed. The capstone option may take any format and students are not required to submit evidence of the completed work to The Graduate School, only to their unit. Any capstone option is subject to unit requirements, but not subject to university rules regarding committee composition, manuscript formatting, or manuscript deadlines.

Project Master's Program. A project master's program is primarily focused on creative achievement and activity culminating in a terminal project distinguished by its predominantly non-written output. While project master's programs include graduate coursework in specific content areas, the emphasis is on applied and/or creative activity, interpretation, and theory. The project in a project master's program does not follow the traditional model of academic, written, publishable work. While it is acceptable for there to be a written component included in the project, most of the work should be in a format other than a traditional written document (e.g., students may do both a performance and written assignment). The project may take a variety of specialized interactive formats, including but not limited to: audio/digital (e.g., film, video, photography, or static image), performance (e.g., dance, theater, music), or art (e.g., exhibit). The scope of the project is discipline-specific and typically requires more than one semester of intensive work and exceeds the requirements for a typical course project/assignment. The project must present an original artistic and/or professional endeavor produced by the student under the close supervision of the student's faculty supervisory committee. Each unit may choose its own nomenclature for the project (including but not limited to: “creative project,” etc.), as long as the terminology does not include the word “thesis” and is distinct from terminology chosen for the coursework-only program within that unit.

To qualify for a master's degree in a project program, the student must complete a minimum of thirty semester hours of credit. At least eighteen of these hours must be taken on a letter-grade basis (A, B, C). The minimum number of project hours for completion of a project master's program shall be six hours.

Additional Requirements for Thesis-Equivalent Project Master's Programs. Thesis-equivalent projects being completed by students in a project master's program require two course codes: one for the project credit hours (or unit-specific nomenclature) and one for the project defense (or unit-specific nomenclature). Graduate students pursuing a thesis-equivalent project master's program must be supervised by a committee of three faculty with GFS and must meet any additional committee requirements set by their academic unit. Additionally, such students must be enrolled in a minimum of two project hours in the semester of graduation.

Thesis-equivalent project master's program students do not need to adhere to the thesis formatting guidelines and deadlines. They may defend their project up until the last regular class day of the semester unless an earlier deadline is set by their academic unit. Thesis-equivalent project master's program students are required to submit a record of their output (in electronic format) to their academic unit by the last regular class day of the semester, per the FSU Academic Calendar, for storing and cataloging, unless an earlier deadline is set by their academic unit. No additional forms are required for submission to the Manuscript Clearance Advisor in The Graduate School. Both a successful defense and submission of the project must be completed by the last regular class day of the semester in which the student intends to graduate unless an earlier deadline is set by their academic unit. In addition, the submission of the project must be entered into the Graduate Tracking System (GST) by the Graduate School by the end of the defense semester and prior to the “Grades due” deadline, per the FSU Academic Calendar.

Requirements at the 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/units require the area or advanced tests of the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) 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/unit for details.

Transfer Credit

Transfer of graduate courses not counted toward a previous degree from another regionally accredited U.S. graduate school (or comparable international institution) is limited to six semester hours, and transfer of graduate 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 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, most of the 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 Records Audit and Analysis in the Office of the University Registrar at 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 supervisory committee or department/unit 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 but cannot count in a student's minimum thirty total semester hours of graduate credit or graduate GPA.

Language Requirements

There is no University-wide foreign language requirement for the master's degree. Each department, school, or college (for units where there are no departments) sets its own language requirements based on the degree awarded.

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 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. If the master's degree is not completed within seven years from the time the student first registers for graduate credit, and the program and/or Department Chair does not choose to approve an Extension of Time (EOT), then the student may no longer be enrolled in that program or at Florida State University.

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/unit or college to identify the major professor, who will serve as the student's advisor 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 or project master's students at the option of the department. The supervisory committee must consist of a minimum of three members of the faculty who have Graduate Faculty Status, one of whom is designated as the major professor. 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 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 specialized or non-tenure track faculty) co-doctoral or co-master's Directive Status. Under special circumstances, persons external to the University may be appointed as Courtesy Faculty with co-doctoral or co-master's Directive Status and serve on a student's supervisory committee as an additional member or co-chair. 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 defend. The Dean of The Graduate School, the academic dean, and the chair of the major department may attend committee meetings as nonvoting members. Only official members of the supervisory committee (i.e., those listed on a student's committee in the Graduate Student Tracking/GST database) may vote and sign the online Defense Decision Form indicating approval of the thesis.

A supervisory committee's judgments on the quality of a student's thesis should be independent, unbiased, and based solely on the academic merits of the work before them. Any other standard risks a breach of professional ethics or law and undermines the integrity of the process and those involved. Any personal, professional, or financial relationships (e.g. involving the major professor, supervisory committee members, and/or student) that may create the perception of bias in that process must be avoided. Immediate family members, domestic partners and married couples are restricted from serving together on the same supervisory committee in any capacity as this could potentially lead to a perception of bias. For the purposes of this policy, immediate family members are defined as a parent, grandparent, spouse, sibling, child or grandchild by blood, adoption or marriage. Exception requests for extenuating circumstances can be submitted by the unit's academic dean to the Dean of The Graduate School (or designee) for consideration. Financial conflicts of interest would not include the typical practice of hiring a student on a university assistantship in the home unit but would include the student being hired by the major professor's private company.

If any such conflict of interest exists, it should be reported by the department chair to the academic dean's office of the student's academic unit, who will evaluate the situation for potential harm and take appropriate action. If questions or irregularities arise that cannot be resolved within the academic unit, the dean's office should contact the Dean of The Graduate School (or designee) for resolution by submitting an exception request to The Graduate School.

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. The student's name must appear on the IRB approval and/or application form as a PI or associate/co-investigator for the period of time when the student's research was conducted. Students must be listed on an ACUC protocol in order to conduct any animal research. Failure to be listed or obtain the required approvals may result in the thesis being permanently embargoed and unpublishable in any form, and the student may not be allowed to graduate.

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/unit and must conform to the University requirements regarding format. Students should consult the “Course Load” section for thesis hour enrollment requirements.

Before writing the thesis, the student should become familiar with the University's manuscript formatting and clearance requirements. Academic courtesy requires that the thesis be submitted to each member of the supervisory committee at least two weeks before the date of the oral examination. At the same time, the thesis should be submitted electronically to the Manuscript Clearance Advisor in The Graduate School via ProQuest so that the clearance advisor can provide the student with a critique of the manuscript with respect to The Graduate School's formatting requirements. Electronic submission instructions and manuscript/forms submission deadlines can be found on The Graduate School's website under Thesis, Treatise and Dissertation.

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 electronic thesis will also be archived by ProQuest. 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. Publication of the thesis through standard media for scholarly work is encouraged. For more information about available access conditions, please see the “Guidelines for Restrictions on the Release of These, Dissertations, and Treatises” section of this Graduate Bulletin.

Examination in Defense of Thesis

The defense of the thesis 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 intended graduation. Students must meet all manuscript and online forms deadlines set by The Graduate School in the semester of graduation. Manuscript/forms submission deadlines can be found on The Graduate School's website under Thesis, Treatise, and Dissertation. Additional rules apply to thesis, treatise, or dissertation students who miss a Manuscript Clearance Deadline during their defense semester. See “Defense Decision Definitions” for details.

Academic courtesy requires that the thesis be submitted to each member of the supervisory committee at least two weeks before the date of the oral examination. At the same time, the thesis should be submitted electronically to the Manuscript Clearance Advisor in The Graduate School so that the clearance advisor can provide the student with a critique of the manuscript with respect to The Graduate School's formatting requirements. Electronic manuscript submission instructions can be found on The Graduate School's website under Thesis, Treatise, and Dissertation.

The supervisory committee 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 is required to submit the Defense Announcement Form of the thesis title, date, and place of the examination to The Graduate School. The Defense Announcement Form must be submitted electronically in The Graduate School's Manuscript Clearance Portal at least two weeks prior to the date of the examination and will be posted on the Defense Calendar on The Graduate School's website. Electronic forms submission instructions can be found on The Graduate School's website under Thesis, Treatise, and Dissertation. By this time, the students must be enrolled in their defense course.

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 three members with Graduate Faculty Status must participate.

Defense Decision Definitions (For Thesis, Treatise, and Dissertation)

Each member must sign the online Defense Decision Form to substantiate the results of the defense. The oral examining committee will certify the results of the defense. The oral examining committee will certify the results of the examination as one of the following: Pass, Pass with Major Revisions, Re-Examine, or Fail.

Pass. To receive a Pass, the thesis, treatise, or dissertation must be in its final form or require only minor revision (e.g., grammar, typographical, clarifications, minor changes not requiring review by full committee) at the time of the defense, and the student passed their oral defense. A decision of Pass for the defense of thesis, treatise, or dissertation requires at least a majority approval of the committee. Students who defend successfully with a “Pass” but miss the defense semester's Manuscript Clearance submission deadlines will need to register for an additional semester and meet the Manuscript Clearance deadlines of the semester following the original defense semester. Students who fail to graduate in their original defense semester and the semester after their original defense semester are required to re-defend their thesis, treatise, or dissertation and meet Manuscript Clearance deadlines during the second semester since their original defense semester (e.g., original defense F24, required re-defense Su25). Students who re-defend and do not earn a “Pass,” should be given a “Fail.” The transcript will reflect a “Pass” once the student submits their successfully defended document. Exception requests for extenuating circumstances can be submitted by the unit's academic dean to the Dean of The Graduate School (or designee) for consideration. Individual departments/units may impose stricter requirements for what constitutes a Pass or the timing of a re-defense. Departments and other degree-granting programs must publicize their policy on these issues in their Graduate student Handbook and in the relevant section of the Graduate Bulletin.

Pass with Major Revisions. This defense decision category is a sub-category of the “Pass” category. This decision indicates that the thesis, treatise, or dissertation requires major revisions (e.g., additional chapters, major restructuring, significant changes needing approval by either the major professor/chair or the full committee), and the student passed their oral defense. Students who defend successfully with a “Pass with Major revisions” but miss the defense semester's Manuscript Clearance submission deadlines will need to register for an additional semester and meet the Manuscript Clearance deadlines of the semester following the original defense semester. Students who fail to graduate in their original defense semester and the semester after their original defense semester are required to re-defend their thesis, treatise, or dissertation and meet Manuscript Clearance deadlines during the second semester since their original defense semester (e.g., original defense F24, required re-defense Su25). Students who re-defend and do not earn a “Pass,” should be given a “Fail.” The transcript will reflect a “Pass” once the student submits their successfully defended document. Exception requests for extenuating circumstances can be submitted by the unit's academic dean to the Dean of The Graduate School (or designee) for consideration.

Re-Defense. The committee may determine that a re-examination in defense of thesis, treatise, or dissertation is necessary if the thesis, treatise, or dissertation has significant flaws and major revisions that are needed and/or the student's oral defense is unsatisfactory. This decision can only be given once. If the student re-defends and the manuscript requires more than only minor revisions to pass, they should be given a Fail. It is the committee's goal to prevent students from defending if their work is substantially flawed when they are reviewing it prior to defense.

Fail. In the case of a Fail, the thesis, treatise, or dissertation had significant flaws to the point where the committee believes the student should discontinue the program, or that a new research direction is required; and/or the student's oral defense was unsatisfactory, and another defense of the existing project will not be allowed. This decision should only be given when a committee/academic unit does not believe the student should continue in the program, or if the student will be required to move in an entirely new direction for their research. It is the committee's goal to prevent students from defending if their work is substantially flawed when they are reviewing it prior to defense. This decision is required if a student a re-defends and does not earn a Pass.

After approval by the oral examining committee (which includes or may be the same as the supervisory committee) and completion of the Final Content Approval Form in the Manuscript Clearance Portal, the student should electronically submit the post-defense, final content-approved version of the thesis, treatise, or dissertation to the Manuscript Clearance Advisor via ProQuest. This submission must occur by the semester deadlines for manuscript clearance. The degree cannot be awarded until the required forms have been completed on The Graduate School's Manuscript Clearance Portal and the final version of the manuscript has been submitted to and approved by the Manuscript Clearance Advisor. If a semester deadline is missed, the student's semester of graduation may be delayed, and a re-defense may be required. Electronic manuscript/forms submission instructions and deadlines can be found on The Graduate School's website under Thesis, Treatise, and Dissertation.

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.

Additional 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:

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.
Degree requirements that include proficiency in a foreign language may be satisfied by demonstrated certification by the appropriate language department, or completion of a specified number of high school or college semester hours in a foreign language, as set by individual programs. All courses must earn a minimum grade of “B” or better.

Master's Degree In-Flight (en route) to Completing the Doctoral Degree

Definition:

A student who has earned the bachelor's degree as the highest degree earned may choose to enroll directly into a doctoral program. Graduate students who have enrolled directly into a doctoral program may be interested in obtaining a master's degree in the program while continuing the progress toward completing the doctoral program. For some programs, this is normal.

A doctoral student might be interested in having the additional “master's” credential on their resume or CV to showcase their professional skills for the competitive job market. Moreover, the student's outlook for completing the doctoral degree may be uncertain, and as such, obtaining the master's degree in-flight (en route) to the doctoral degree can serve as another option.

Doctoral students interested in having a master's degree in-flight (en route) awarded need to meet with their primary academic advisor, major professor, an/or unit head prior to completing the doctoral degree.

Required Criteria:

Note: Units may impose stricter criteria.

The student is an active/current doctoral student who is in good academic standing.

The doctoral student has met the curricular criteria and respective degree requirements for the coursework-only, thesis-type, or project master's degree (in-flight e.g., total hours, requisite GPA, recency requirement, passed the comprehensive exam, completed the capstone project, passed thesis defense/manuscript clearance, etc.).

A doctoral student is requesting a master's degree in-flight (en route) or a unit is offering this degree to a doctoral student from a major/plan that is active and available within the same doctoral major/plan being pursued. The master's degree in-flight must also be under the same degree program as the doctoral program. If not, a dual degree request form should be submitted to The Graduate School.

The doctoral student has not achieved a master's degree in the same degree program. As noted in the Graduate Bulletin (see Second Graduate Degrees).

Doctoral Degree Programs

Degrees Offered

The University offers the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Doctor of Education (EdD), and Doctor of Music (DM) 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 Fine Arts, College of Human Sciences, College of Music, College of Nursing, College of Social Sciences and Public Policy, College of Social Work, 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 accomplished in their specific fields but also with the potential and opportunity for further advances; 2) have demonstrated the 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 study.

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

Scholarly Engagement

The purpose of the Scholarly Engagement requirement is to ensure that doctoral students are active participants in the scholarly community. To meet the Scholarly Engagement requirement, doctoral students should interact with faculty and peers in ways that may include enrolling in courses; attending seminars, symposia, and conferences; engaging in collaborative study and research beyond the university campus; and utilizing the library, laboratories, and other facilities provided by the University. The goal is to prepare students to be scholars who can independently acquire, evaluate, and extend knowledge, as well as develop themselves as effective communicators and disseminators of knowledge. Each academic unit with a doctoral program should include a program specific statement in its Graduate Handbook describing how its students can meet the Scholarly Engagement requirement.

Transfer Credit

Transfer of graduate courses not counted toward a previous degree from another regionally accredited graduate school (or comparable international institution) is limited to six semester hours and transfer of graduate 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 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: 1) be recommended by the major department; 2) be evaluated as graduate work by the Records Audit and Analysis in the Office of the University Registrar at 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

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. 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. Prior to degree conferral, all doctoral students must have completed a minimum of twenty-four credit hours of dissertation.

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 that 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 specialized or non-tenure track faculty) co-doctoral or co-master's Directive Status. Under special circumstances persons external to the University may be appointed as Courtesy Faculty with co-doctoral or co-master's Directive Status and serve on a student's supervisory committee as either an additional member or co-chair. 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 defend. Each year, the supervisory committee, the major professor, or the student's advisor 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. Only official members of the supervisory committee (i.e., those listed on a student's committee in the Graduate Student Tracking/GST database) may vote and sign the online Defense Decision Form indicating approval of the dissertation.

A supervisory committee's judgments on the quality of a student's dissertation should be independent, unbiased, and based solely on the academic merits of the work before them. Any other standard risks a breach of professional ethics or law and undermines the integrity of the process and those involved. Any personal, professional, or financial relationships (e.g. involving the major professor, supervisory committee members, and/or student) that may create the perception of bias in that process must be avoided. Immediate family members, domestic partners and married couples are restricted from serving together on the same supervisory committee in any capacity as this could potentially lead to a perception of bias. For the purposes of this policy, immediate family members are defined as a parent, grandparent, spouse, sibling, child or grandchild by blood, adoption or marriage. Exception requests for extenuating circumstances can be submitted by the unit's academic dean to the Dean of The Graduate School for consideration. However, for doctoral supervisory committees, under no circumstances can a Committee Chair (or Co-Chair) and University representative be immediate family members, domestic partners, or a married couple. The University representative must be drawn from outside the student's department (as well as outside the student's degree program for interdisciplinary programs) must be a fully-tenured member of the faculty with Graduate Faculty Status (GFS) and should be free of conflicts of interest with other members of the supervisory committee. Financial conflicts of interest would not include the typical practice of hiring a student on a university assistantship in the home unit but would include the student being hired by the major professor's private company.

If any such conflict of interest exists, it should be reported by the department chair to the academic dean's office of the student's academic unit, who will evaluate the situation for potential harm and take appropriate action. If questions or irregularities arise that cannot be resolved within the academic unit, the dean's office should contact the Dean of The Graduate School or designee for resolution by submitting an exception request to The Graduate School.

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 (see above Supervisory Committee Section). 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, and then submit the online Doctoral Defense Report on The Graduate School's Manuscript Clearance Portal within one week of the defense. 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 advisor 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 advisor 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/unit prescribes its own requirements.

The procedures for testing foreign language proficiency are set by the department/unit prescribing the requirements. The Department of Classics prepares and administers the examinations in Greek and Latin. For departments/units 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 Center for Intensive English Studies. The completion of that coursework may 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.

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 PhD degree. No student may register for dissertation 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 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 re-examined; 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.

If a student fails the preliminary examination before being admitted to candidacy, then the student is ineligible to continue in the degree program unless a re-examination of the preliminary examination is offered by the student's supervisory committee or other relevant decision-making body within each department or unit, per that department or unit's doctoral student handbook. The Academic Dean's office should be notified of the outcome of any preliminary exam attempt.

Students can take the preliminary examination for admission to candidacy a maximum of only two times. A second failure on the preliminary exam makes the student ineligible to continue in the degree program. The second attempt at the preliminary exam shall occur no sooner than six full class weeks after the results of the first attempt are shared with the student. For the purpose of this policy, a “full class week” is defined as a week with five days during which classes are held at FSU. Students must be registered separately for their first and second attempt, if necessary, within the same semester, and must receive either a “pass” or a “fail” grade for each attempt.

An exception request regarding the timing of the re-examination can be submitted for consideration to the Academic Dean's Office by either the student or the supervisory committee. Students who allege that academic regulations and/or procedures were improperly applied for the re-examination of their preliminary exam may have their grievances addressed through the general academic appeals process. The full preliminary exam policy as listed here must be added to all doctoral student handbooks.

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 and is admitted to the candidacy. If the student's major professor and/or Department Chair does not choose to either approve an Extension of Time (EOT) or require the student to take the preliminary exam and/or coursework again for readmission to candidacy, then the student may no longer be enrolled in that program or at Florida State University.

Admission to Candidacy

A student who has passed the preliminary examination and has been certified by 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/unit 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. The student's name must appear on the IRB approval and/or application form as a PI or associate/co-investigator for the period of time when the student's research was conducted (i.e., data collections and analyses). Students must be listed on an ACUC protocol in order to conduct any animal research. Failure to be listed or obtain the required approvals may result in the dissertation being permanently embargoed and unpublishable in any form.

Dissertation

A 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.

Before writing the dissertation, the student should become familiar with the University's manuscript formatting and clearance requirements. Academic courtesy requires that the dissertation be submitted to each member of the supervisory committee at least four weeks before the oral examination unless all members of the examination committee agree to a shorter reading period. At the same time, the dissertation should be submitted electronically to the Manuscript Clearance Advisor in The Graduate School via ProQuest so that the clearance advisor can provide the student with a critique of the manuscript with respect to the Graduate School's formatting requirements. Electronic submission instructions can be found on The Graduate School's website under Thesis, Treatise and Dissertation.

As a condition of undertaking a dissertation program, the student agrees that the completed dissertation will be archived in the University Libraries system. The electronic dissertation will also be archived by ProQuest. 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. Publication of the dissertation through standard media for scholarly work is also encouraged. For more information about available access conditions, please see the “Guidelines for Restrictions on the Release of Theses, Dissertations, and Treatises” section of the Graduate Bulletin.

Prior to degree conferral, all doctoral students must have completed a minimum of twenty-four credit hours of dissertation. For more information on enrollment requirements related to dissertation hours, including during the final-semester registration, see the “Standard Full-Time Load and Underload Definition” section of “Graduate Academic Regulations and Procedures” in the Graduate Bulletin.

For more specific information on final-semester registration, see the section “Registration for Final Term.”

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 intended graduation. Students must meet all semester deadlines for manuscript clearance set by The Graduate School in the semester of graduation. Manuscript/forms submission deadlines can be found on The Graduate School's website under Thesis, Treatise, and Dissertation. Additional rules apply to thesis, treatise, or dissertation students who miss a Manuscript Clearance Deadline during their defense semester. See “Defense Decision Definitions” for details.

Academic courtesy requires that the dissertation be submitted to each member of the supervisory committee at least four weeks before the oral examination unless all members of the examination committee agree to a shorter reading period. At the same time, the dissertation should be submitted electronically to the Manuscript Clearance Advisor in The Graduate School so that the clearance advisor can provide the student with a critique of the manuscript with respect to The Graduate School's formatting requirements. Electronic manuscript submission instructions can be found on The Graduate School's website under Thesis, Treatise, and Dissertation.

The supervisory committee 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 is required to submit the Defense Announcement Form of the dissertation title, date, and place of the examination to The Graduate School. The Defense Announcement Form must be submitted electronically in The Graduate School's Manuscript Clearance Portal at least two weeks prior to the date of the examination and will be posted on the Defense Calendar on The Graduate School's website. Electronic forms submission instructions can be found on The Graduate School's website under Thesis, Treatise, and Dissertation. By this time, the students must be enrolled in their defense course.

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. If the University representative is unable to attend in real-time, then a new, appropriately qualified University representative must be selected to attend the defense. A minimum of four members with Graduate Faculty Status must participate.

Defense Decision Definitions (for Thesis, Treatise, and Dissertation)

Pass with Major Revisions. This defense decision category is a sub-category of the “Pass” category. This decision indicates that the thesis, treatise, or dissertation requires major revisions (e.g., additional chapters, major restructuring, significant changes needing approval by either the major professor/chair or the full committee), and the student passed their oral defense. Students who defend successfully with a “Pass with Major Revisions” but miss the defense semester's Manuscript Clearance submission deadlines will need to register for an additional semester and meet the Manuscript Clearance deadlines of the semester following the original defense semester. Students who fail to graduate in their original defense semester and the semester after their original defense semester are required to re-defend their thesis, treatise, or dissertation and meet Manuscript Clearance deadlines during the second semester since their original defense semester (e.g., original defense F24, required re-defense Su25). Students who re-defend and do not earn a “Pass,” should be given a “Fail.” The transcript will reflect a “Pass” once the student submits their successfully defended document. Exception requests for extenuating circumstances can be submitted by the unit's academic dean to the Dean of The Graduate School (or designee) for consideration.

Fail. In the case of a Fail, the thesis, treatise, or dissertation had significant flaws to the point at which the committee believes the student should discontinue the program, or that a new research direction is required; and/or the student's oral defense was unsatisfactory, and another defense of the existing project will not be allowed. This decision should only be given when a committee/academic unit does not believe the student should continue in the program, or if the student will be required to move in an entirely new direction for their research. It is the committee's goal to prevent students from defending if their work is substantially flawed when they are reviewing it prior to defense. This decision is required if a student a re-defends and does not earn a Pass.

Guidelines for Restrictions on the Release of Theses, Dissertations, and Treatises

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) as well as treatises must be made available in their complete and original format as a condition of undertaking graduate study at FSU. The completed ETD will be archived in the FSU Libraries' Digital Repository and by ProQuest. Students will select an access condition provided by The Graduate School to make their manuscript available for review by other scholars and the general public. Publication of the manuscript through standard media for scholarly work is also encouraged. Note: Manuscripts cannot be subdivided into chapters and disseminated under different access options.

Worldwide Access. Recommended to all of our students. This option makes the ETD freely available worldwide via the FSU Libraries' Digital Repository. 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. During the embargo period, only meta-data will be available in the FSU Libraries' Digital Repository and on ProQuest. After the restricted time period, the document will be made freely available through worldwide access (option above) in the FSU Libraries' Digital Repository and on ProQuest according to the publication option selected by the student during manuscript clearance.

The maximum delay in the release of a thesis, treatise, or dissertation to the FSU Libraries' Digital Repository and ProQuest shall not exceed twenty-four months from the date the thesis, treatise, or dissertation is approved by The 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.

The initial request for such a delay must be submitted to the Manuscript Clearance Portal by completing the Embargo Request section of the Manuscript Access Agreement Form. This request must be approved in the Manuscript Clearance Portal by the major professor (or co-major professors, if applicable), the Manuscript Clearance Advisor, and the Dean of The Graduate School. The department or program chair, or dean of the relevant college may endorse the request if the major professor is retired, deceased, etc.

The FSU Libraries' Digital Repository, in cooperation with The Graduate School, may provide restricted access to ETDs at FSU (i.e., Campus Community-Only Access) in select circumstances. Students may request that full access to their ETD be limited to people connected to FSU's network.

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 (or co-major professors, if applicable) on the online Manuscript Access Agreement Form.

Final approval may be granted by the Dean of The Graduate School only after the online Manuscript Access Agreement Form is submitted to The Graduate School's Manuscript Clearance Portal with appropriate approvals and justification. This online form is reviewed by the Manuscript Clearance Advisor at The Graduate School before being reviewed by the Dean.

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

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.

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

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 Fine Arts.

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.

The provisions of this section indicate steps leading to the DM degree that differ from those leading to the PhD degree. Additional information pertaining to the DM degree are noted in the “College of Music” chapter of this Graduate Bulletin.

Professional Degree Programs

The Graduate School oversees all post-bachelor programs with the exceptions as noted in this Graduate Bulletin. The Graduate Policy Committee (GPC) is the governing body for all academic graduate and professional post-bachelor programs regarding general policies, procedures, and quality review. Programs seeking exceptions can apply to the Graduate Policy Committee (GPC).

The professional degree programs offered at Florida State University include the Doctor of Medicine (MD) Degree, the Juris Doctor (JD) Degree, the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Degree and the Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Practice (DNAP) Degree.

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, Step 2CK, 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.

Transfer Credit

In rare cases a student may petition to be accepted to the College of Medicine and transfer credits from another institution. Transfer credits will be considered only for first year or second year courses. Requests for credit will be evaluated on a course-by-course basis and the College of Medicine reserves the right to determine which credits would be accepted. Transfer credit will be limited to a maximum of the equivalent of two years of coursework.

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.

Transfer Credit

Students must complete a minimum of forty-five credit hours of approved course work from the Florida State University College of Law. This requirement may not be satisfied by credit earned under the auspices of another law school or through graduate-level courses at Florida State University or Florida A&M University. Generally, transfer credit is limited to the first year of Law School, the equivalent of twenty-four credit hours.

Requirements of the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Degree

A DNP is a doctorate-level degree and is designed to help registered nurses who hold a Master of Science (MSN) in Nursing, or a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) attain the highest level of clinical and practice-based education to advance their careers.

DNP curriculum focuses on evidence-based practice and quality improvement. By combining these two foci, nurses who pursue their DNP are prepared to intentionally improve health and wellness outcomes for individuals, communities, and entire populations.

In addition to track-specific program requirements, the core curriculum in a DNP program includes:

DNP Foundations: An introduction to the role of a DNP as a change agent in healthcare; skills developed include identification of a gap in practice, conducting a needs assessment and describing the scope and significance of the problem.
Evidence-Based Practice and Quality Improvement: develops advanced nursing practice as a form of inquiry, integration, and application of evidence into practice through reading and synthesizing research, as well as use technology and information systems to evaluate and implement evidence-based practice methods.
Clinical Prevention and Healthcare Outcomes: This curriculum teaches the student to assess, design and implement evidence-based quality healthcare practices with the use of the tools to define desired outcomes and measure success using data.
Leadership, Policy & Interprofessional Collaboration: Students will learn principles of advanced leadership in the context of complex healthcare systems. Skills gained include change management, developing high-functioning teams and improving quality and safety of care.

To qualify for a DNP program, a nurse must have completed a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) or a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN). Unlike many other advanced degrees, those holding a BSN may advance directly to a DNP without completing a master's degree.

Requirements of the Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Practice (DNAP) Degree

The DNAP degree is a doctoral level degree and the entry to practice degree for a baccalaureate-prepared Registered Nurse to become a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthesiologist (CRNA). The 95-credit hour program's curriculum was designed specifically to meet the rigorous requirements to become a CRNA.

Graduates of the DNAP program shall receive a doctoral degree, be an expert in research-based anesthesia clinical practices, be eligible for the CRNA exam, and shall acquire knowledge, skills, and competencies including patient safety, individualized peri anesthetic management, critical thinking, and communication skills needed for their professional role.

The DNAP curricular framework was developed with the required standards set forth by the COA, as well as additional coursework that will best develop graduate students into independent advanced practice nurses prepared to enter the workforce. The courses are sequenced in a manner that helps students to blend didactic knowledge with clinical application and culminate in the acquisition of knowledge, skills, and independent critical thinking that are required to practice as a CRNA. Each graduate student will be actively engaged in a scholarly inquiry project which will ultimately be presented at the local and/or national level to a body of peers.

Admission to the DNAP program is a two-fold evaluation process. The Office of Admissions determines eligibility for admission to the University and the academic department or college determines admissibility to the degree program. Final admission to the University is subject to approval by the Office of Admissions.

NOTE: The Nurse Anesthesia Program does not accept transfer students. Further, because the program is cohort based, it does not offer advance standing or accept transfer graduate credits.

Application Requirments:

Baccalaureate or Master's degree in Nursing (BSN or MSN) obtained from a regionally accredited institution of higher education in the United States.
Registered Nurse (RN) current experience of at least one year in a critical care setting, such as Surgical Intensive Care, Cardiothoracic Intensive Care, Medical Intensive Care, Pediatric Intensive Care, and Neonatal Intensive Care. Those who have experiences in other intensive care areas may be considered provided they can demonstrate competence with managing unstable patients, invasive monitoring, ventilators, and critical care pharmacology.
One semester of general college-level chemistry is required within 5 years with a grade of B or better.
An upper-division grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or greater on a 4.0 scale.
Graduate Record Examination (GRE) taken within 5 years of application.
Registered Nurse (RN) license that is current, valid, unrestricted, in one jurisdiction of the United States.

Other departmental application requirements must be met prior to the published application deadline.

Continuance and 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 (“B”) in formal graduate courses (5000-level or above). 4000-level courses may be credited toward a graduate degree but cannot count in a student's minimum thirty total semester hours of graduate credit or graduate GPA. 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, master's project, or thesis does not guarantee continuance in a master's degree program or 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 student should continue to be enrolled or be awarded the master's degree, or whether 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 continuance in a doctoral program or award of the doctoral degree. Faculty judgment of the academic performance of the student is inherent in the educational process in determining whether the student should continue to be enrolled, admitted to doctoral candidacy, and awarded the doctoral degree.

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 as well as the “Standard Full-Time Load and Underload Definition” section of “Graduate Academic Regulations and Procedures” in the Graduate Bulletin.

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

A student should apply for graduation online at https://my.fsu.edu (under the “Academics” tab) in the term that the student anticipates completing the degree. The application window is available in the academic calendar for the applicable term. If a candidate applied for graduation in a previous term but did not complete the degree, the application for graduation will be carried forward to the subsequent term.

A student's manuscript must be cleared to graduate; however, students also must meet departmental and University requirements before they can graduate. A manuscript is considered cleared if the Manuscript Clearance Advisor has approved the formatting of the manuscript AND all online forms have been completed in the Manuscript Clearance Portal. Students should become familiar with the University's manuscript formatting and clearance requirements before writing their thesis, dissertation, or treatise. A variety of resources for the manuscript clearance process are available on The Graduate School's website. The Manuscript Clearance Advisors are also available for scheduled office hours if a student has questions regarding formatting and the manuscript clearance process.

All theses, dissertations, and treatises must be electronically submitted to The Graduate School via the ProQuest Website; hard copies or submissions via e-mail or any other electronic method will not be accepted. Students should submit their manuscript to The Graduate School via ProQuest at the same time that the manuscript is submitted to the committee prior to the defense (but no later than the initial, pre-defense manuscript submission deadline in the semester of intended graduation). This initial submission is reviewed by the Manuscript Clearance Advisor, who then provides the student with a reviewed copy of the manuscript that shows formatting corrections to be made before submitting the post-defense version of the manuscript. After the defense, students submit the final content-approved version of their manuscript via ProQuest, incorporating changes requested by their supervisory committee as well as those requested by the Manuscript Clearance Advisor. Students not meeting these deadlines will be considered graduates of the following semester. If an extenuating circumstance arises, in which a thesis, treatise or dissertation student requires a non-substantive edit to be made to the formatting of their post-defense manuscript (prior to the final manuscript clearance deadline) and they are unable to make the edit on their own, then an Exception Request can be submitted by the student to The Graduate School for consideration. If the Exception Request is approved, the Manuscript Clearance Advisor will be permitted to make the minor edit as specified by the student to the manuscript for the student.

Manuscript Clearance Deadlines

Students must meet the semester deadlines for Manuscript Clearance in order to graduate. In addition, students must meet the criteria described in the Examination in Defense of Thesis and Examination in Defense of Dissertation sections by or before Manuscript Clearance deadlines to graduate.

Semester Deadlines. Four deadlines are posted per semester as follows:

Last day to submit doctoral dissertation or treatise for pre-defense (initial) format review
Last day to submit master's thesis for pre-defense (initial) format review
Last day for submission of successfully defended, final content-approved thesis, dissertation, or treatise and completion of all required online forms
Last day for thesis, dissertation, and treatise students to receive an e-mail from Manuscript Clearance confirming final clearance

The relevant pre-defense (initial) format review deadline is the date by which students must submit their manuscript to the Manuscript Clearance Advisor for a pre-defense (initial) formatting review. Manuscripts will not be reviewed and counted as an initial submission under the following conditions: 1) not submitted via the ProQuest ETD website; 2) poorly formatted based on The Graduate School's guidelines, or 3) otherwise appears incomplete (e.g., multiple sections omitted). While it is understood that content will likely change after the defense, it is expected that manuscripts submitted for the pre-defense (initial) format review are at least 90% complete and have been formatted in full accordance with the criteria in the most recent version of The Graduate School's formatting guidelines.

The post-defense deadline indicates the date by which students must submit the post-defense, final content-approved version of their manuscript to ProQuest ETD and ensure completion of all required manuscript clearance forms in The Graduate School's Manuscript Clearance Portal by 11:59 p.m. ET. Although students cannot complete all forms in the Manuscript Clearance Portal directly, they are ultimately responsible for ensuring their committee has completed the needed approvals. Please note: Additional formatting revisions are often required after this date for final manuscript clearance to be completed, but content changes are prohibited. The last deadline is the date by which any post-defense formatting revisions (only those required by the Manuscript Clearance office) should be completed and “Official Final Manuscript Clearance” should be granted in the Manuscript Clearance Portal.

Contact the Manuscript Clearance Advisor (clearance@fsu.edu) for any questions regarding the clearance process.

Policy for Awarding Degrees

Florida State University helps students meet their academic goals by monitoring academic progress toward their degree. If a graduate student has completed their 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 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 academic 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.

Once a degree has been awarded, all coursework leading to that degree is considered final and not subject to change. “Incomplete” grade changes or any other grade changes should be submitted prior to the posting of the degree. Grade changes or withdrawals for coursework that applies to the awarded degree may be considered only in cases of documented University error or in cases where the courses in question are documented as applying to a degree that is still in progress.

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