Vital Note to Graduate Students: as you can see from the directions below, you will be responsible for initiating many of the forms required by the college and university. We are moving toward a web-based form completion and submission system, but we are not there yet. We have, however, just re-constructed all of the forms in an important way that affects how you carry out your responsibilities.

Wherever indicated, you will be responsible for downloading, filling out -- by entering names and information in the appropriate text boxes, and printing -- and then circulating these forms for signatures. No longer will handwritten forms be allowed. For the most part, the only entries that will be handwritten will be signatures and dates (and university policy requires signatures to be written in blue ink only). In conjunction with your advisor, you need to make certain that the information is complete and accurate, and the committee members are eligible, that you enter into the text boxes before you print out the document for signatures.

The forms will require you to identify yourself in several ways: your name, your PID, your program name, and your program code. It is essential that you provide this information accurately. If you have any question about the name of your program, or your active program code, here is what you should not do: do not bother your program staff with this question; it is your responsibility to know this information.

Here is what you should do: go to your STU INFO page; select “Major(s) by Term.”  You will see your current program name and code; this is what you would enter in the various forms below. If you thought that you were in a different program, you should immediately contact the Registrar to straighten this out.

For advanced (Ph.D. and Educational Specialist) graduate students, you and your advisor should make certain that all of the members of your Guidance and Dissertation Committees include at least four current tenure-stream MSU faculty members (this is a University policy). You and your advisor and program coordinator can verify eligibility before you enter the committee members’ names and print out the form for signatures, but the easiest thing to do is to ask them to confirm that they are tenure-stream faculty members. You can supplement these four members with individuals from other universities, or emeriti faculty, but you will need permission to add these others. If you find out that someone you want to serve on your committee is not recognized as eligible at this point, you can petition the Graduate School (by having your program send a memo and copy of the individual’s vita to Associate Dean Michael Sedlak [msedak@msu.edu]) to make that person eligible. Submitting forms with ineligible committee members will significantly delay the processing of your program paperwork, and in the most extreme cases, can hold up graduation.

Before printing, you should also do everything to ensure that the form consists of a single page, with all relevant information included; you may reduce font size if necessary and use page reduction features, but leave the form in the same structure as you find it on this website.

The following forms have been placed in sequential order -- by program level -- and reflect a typical student's progress through the degree program. Some of the forms will not be used by all students, such as the Project Agreement Form.   

Forms for Ph.D. Students:

• Guidance Committee Membership: Student Initiated [DOC]
  Doctoral guidance committees should be formed at the end of the first year or beginning of the second year.  Must have at least four regular (tenure stream) MSU faculty or approved (by Graduate School) non-tenured (i.e., temporary/fixed-term) faculty. Student downloads, completes electronically, and prints before securing signatures; no handwritten forms: handwritten signatures, in blue ink only.
• Changes in Advisor and Guidance/Dissertation Committee Membership: Student Initiated [DOC ]
  Form to make any changes (additions, deletions) to the guidance committee, or to change advisors. Student downloads, completes electronically, and prints before securing signatures; no handwritten forms: handwritten signatures, in blue ink only.
• Report of the Guidance Committee (Program Plan): Student Initiated  [DOC]
  Should typically be filed early in second year of Ph.D. program. Student downloads, completes electronically, and prints before securing signatures; no handwritten forms: handwritten signatures, in blue ink only.
• Changes in Program Plan: Student Initiated  [DOC]
  Program Plans often require modification. This is the form that must be filed to record all additions, deletions, and substitutions. The guidance committee, department chair, and associate dean must approve changes. Student downloads, completes electronically, and prints before securing signatures; no handwritten forms: handwritten signatures, in blue ink only.
• Record of Comprehensive Examinations for Ph.D and Ed.S. students [DOC]
  Ph.D./Ed.S. comprehensive exam form: the student must be enrolled for semester of exam date for at least one credit.  Must be taken within 5 years of admission to Ph.D. program. After the student takes the final part of the examination, the program/department completes and files this form.
• Research Practicum: 995: Student Initiated  [DOC]
  Doctoral students must complete a Research Practicum. There are several ways of meeting this requirement, all spelled out in your program’s Handbook. This form must be filed when you are completing this experience, typically through a course numbered 995. Student downloads, completes electronically, and prints before securing signatures; no handwritten forms: handwritten signatures, in blue ink only.
• University Committee for Research Involving Human Subjects (UCRIHS) Application
  If appropriate, you must file this form with the university before undertaking any research for your dissertation or other course that involves human subjects.
• Dissertation Director Approval: Student Initiated  [DOC ]
  At the time of the dissertation proposal meeting, the dissertation committee and dissertation director are appointed. This form, signed by all committee members, reflects their commitment to serve on the committee. The proposal and director forms are typically signed together during the meeting and submitted together shortly thereafter. Student downloads, completes electronically, and prints before securing signatures; no handwritten forms: handwritten signatures, in blue ink only.
• Dissertation Proposal Approval: Student Initiated  [DOC ]
  Dissertation proposals are approved at a meeting of a student’s dissertation committee. If human subjects are to be part of the dissertation research, the UCRIHS submission date must be included on the proposal. Student downloads, completes electronically, and prints before securing signatures; no handwritten forms: handwritten signatures, in blue ink only.
• Notice of Doctoral Dissertation Oral Examination: Student Initiated 
  Prepared when student is ready to defend the dissertation, ideally one to two weeks before the defense date. Student fills out form on the college website http://www.educ.msu.edu/content/form.asp?i=12: Submit an Event to the Calendar; under Event Title, put: “Oral Dissertation Defense: [Dissertation Title].” Under Event Cost enter $0, in the Event Summary and Event Description boxes, copy the event title and paste it into these fields. Check “NO” when asked if you want event posted on the University-wide calendar.
• Record of Dissertation and Oral Examination Requirements for Doctoral Degree Candidate [DOC]
  Defense of dissertation oral examination form.  Completed by the dissertation committee at student's defense or shortly thereafter.  Student must be enrolled for at least one credit during semester of the defense.
• Request for Extension of Time to Complete Degree Requirements: Student Initiated [DOC]
  If a student fails to meet final Ph.D. requirements within eight years, an extension to meet degree requirements must be applied for and approved. Student should complete this form in collaboration with the advisor. Student downloads, completes electronically, and prints before securing signatures; no handwritten forms: handwritten signatures, in blue ink only.

Forms for MA Students:

• Changes in Advisor: Student Initiated  [DOC]
  Student downloads, completes electronically, and prints before securing signatures; no handwritten forms: handwritten signatures, in blue ink only.
• Program Plan: Student Initiated  [DOC]
  Student downloads, completes electronically, and prints before securing signatures; no handwritten forms: handwritten signatures, in blue ink only.
• Changes in Program Plan: Student Initiated  [DOC]
  Student downloads, completes electronically, and prints before securing signatures; no handwritten forms: handwritten signatures, in blue ink only.
• Record of Final Certifying Examination for Master's Degree Candidates [DOC]
  Department completes this form and files it.
• Request for Extension of Time to Complete Degree Requirement: Student Initiated  [DOC]
  Student downloads, completes electronically, and prints before securing signatures; no handwritten forms: handwritten signatures, in blue ink only.

Forms for all Graduate levels, Department initiated

• Change from Provisional to Regular Status  [DOC]
  Student must clear "Provisional" status (if so admitted) before degree can be conferred.  Should be cleared as soon as conditions have been met. Department completes this form and files it.

Forms for all Graduate levels, Student initiated

• College of Education Graduate Application Conviction Disclosure Form: Student Initiated  [DOC]
  Student downloads, completes electronically, and prints before securing signatures; no handwritten forms.
• Application for Change of Program and Status: Student Initiated   [DOC]
  If student has previously been admitted to an MSU graduate degree program, he/she must file this form to apply to new degree program/change levels. This is done in place of a new Graduate Application. Student downloads, completes electronically, and prints before securing signatures; no handwritten forms: handwritten signatures, in blue ink only.
• Project Agreement Form: Student Initiated   [DOC]
  Student must file this form with their Program Secretary and register for Independent Study credit(s) with the appropriate department. Student downloads, completes electronically, and prints before securing signatures; no handwritten forms: handwritten signatures, in blue ink only.
• Application for Graduation: Student Initiated 
  Students must apply for graduation.
• Application for Readmission: Student Initiated 
  Students must apply for readmission if not enrolled for one full year.