Final Defense, Graduation and Time Extensions

Completion Deadlines and Checklists
Procedures Before the Defense
Procedures of the Defense
Procedures After the Defense
Graduation Procedures
Time Extensions

Completion Deadlines and Checklists

All procedures must be finished by the completion deadline the Graduate School has established for the semester. Students should use the completion checklist to make sure they complete all procedures on time.

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Procedures Before the Final Defense

By the end of the fifth week in their graduation term, a candidate must:

• File an online application for graduation via Pipeline. A fee is charged for the application.
• Submit electronically to the Graduate School the Dissertation Title and Previous Degrees form.

Two weeks before the Final Defense, a candidate must:

• Submit the dissertation manuscript electronically to the Graduate School for a format check, after adhering to all the formatting instructions laid out in the Doctoral Dissertations Final Defense & Publishing Instructions (PDF) document.
• Receive tentative approval of the dissertation from all members of the dissertation committee by obtaining their signatures on Part 1 of the Final Report form. Their signatures on the form indicate approval of the content of the dissertation and its readiness for a Public Lecture Presentation - Defense. The candidate submits the form to the Graduate School for approval.
• Submit the announcement publicizing the Final Defense to the Graduate School.
• Complete the permission form on the Libraries’ website, allowing Wayne State University Libraries to make the dissertation available to the Wayne State community and the general public through the Digital Commons@WSU. Students can control the level of access to their dissertation/thesis through the permission form.

The Graduate School will verify the appropriateness of the committee on the Final Report form and send the Defense form, along with the Graduate Examiner’s Report form, to the dissertation advisor for completion following the Defense.

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Procedures of the Final Defense

The Final Defense is conducted by the student’s dissertation advisory committee and is open to the public. It must be publicized by the student’s department in advance. The Graduate Examiner oversees the proceedings and reports the results to the Graduate School. The dissertation advisor serves as the Graduate Examiner, though the student or any committee member may request the Graduate School to appoint an external Examiner.

The first part of the Final Defense is a public presentation in which the candidate presents the methodology, research and results of the investigation to the committee and the audience, and responds to their questions. In the second part, the candidate meets with the committee and responds to further questions about the research and dissertation. The final phase is the evaluation, in which the committee discusses the candidate’s performance, agrees on any revisions the candidate should make to the manuscript, and determines whether or not s/he passed. The committee’s decision is conveyed to the Graduate School via the Final Report form. The candidate is informed of any required revisions.

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Procedures After the Final Defense

The Graduate School establishes a completion date by which all requirements must be fulfilled for each term. By this date, all degree requirements and paperwork must be completed for the degree to be certified.

By the established completion date for the semester, a candidate must:

• Make all requested content and format revisions to the dissertation manuscript and submit the final manuscript electronically to the Graduate School, using the same ETD Administrator web site to which the manuscript was initially submitted for a format check.
• Submit to the Graduate School a hard copy of the dissertation title page signed by the advisor and all committee members.
• Complete the online Survey of Earned Doctorates.
• Complete the online Doctoral Student Exit Survey.

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Graduation Procedures

Although students may finish the requirements for the Ph.D. degree at any time during the academic year, commencement ceremonies are held only in May and December each year. Detailed information about applying for the degree and commencement procedures is available from the Commencement Office web site.

The application for a degree is available in Pipeline under the Student tab, in the Student Records section of the left menu. The application fee is $40 and payable online. The deadline for applying is the Friday of the fifth week of class in the semester in which graduation is anticipated.

Cap, gown, ticket and other Commencement information will be mailed to degree candidates by the Commencement Office prior to the event.

Attendance at the Commencement ceremony is requested and expected. Candidates completing requirements during the summer semesters are invited and urged to attend the next Commencement ceremony in December. Diplomas are awarded at the ceremony; however, diplomas will be mailed to those candidates unable to attend the ceremonies.

Degree certification is available for employment purposes. A candidate who completes all requirements between the degree-granting periods may request a letter of certification from the Graduate School verifying completion of degree requirements. Requests should be submitted to phdstudents@wayne.edu.

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Time Extensions

Students have a seven-year time limit to complete all requirements for the Ph.D. degree. A student whose Ph.D. time limit has expired is regarded by the Graduate School as automatically terminated from the program unless the department submits an appropriately justified request for a time extension, and the Graduate School approves that request.

Requesting a Time Extension

To allow a student to continue in the Ph.D. program past the seven-year time limit, the department must request a time extension from the Graduate School within six months following the student’s time limit expiration. The Time Extension Request form must be used to transmit the request.

Time Extension Requirements

To be considered for a time extension, the student’s Prospectus must have received Graduate School approval.

The request must:

• Include the reasons for the request;
• Explain how the student’s circumstances have changed to enable him/her now to complete the dissertation;
• Present compelling evidence that the student's dissertation is in progress;
• Provide a plan and timeline for completion of the dissertation; and
• Explain how the student has remained current in his/her field.

It must include:

• Copies of all the student's annual progress reports;
• Endorsement by the student's advisor and a majority of the dissertation committee; and
• The approval of the departmental Graduate Director (or the Graduate Director in consultation with the departmental Graduate Committee).

The length of time extensions should be handled on a case-by-case basis, justified by the timeline. During the extension, the student must meet with the advisor and committee annually, and a record of the meetings should be part of the annual review.

Revalidation Requirement

Approval of a time extension beyond the 10-year mark requires revalidation of credentials through retaking of the written Qualifying Examination in the major area or other mechanisms of revalidation as stipulated by the department. Additional coursework might be required.

Total Time for Extensions

The total time for earning the PhD degree, including all time extensions and any required revalidation, is 12 years.

Appeal Process

If the advisor, dissertation committee or the Graduate Director does not approve an extension, the student has the right to appeal the decision. If the advisor or dissertation committee does not approve the request, the student may appeal to the Graduate Director, who will meet with the graduate committee to respond to the appeal. If the Graduate Director does not approve the request, the student may appeal to the Graduate School. If the Graduate School does not approve the request, the student may appeal to the Provost.

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