grad_com An electronic newsletter from the BSU School of Graduate Studies
	Vol. 4, No. 6	December 2007
The Process Registration: Grad classes Starting the count of seven years to complete a degree Form 1: Applying for admission to graduate studies Completing 13-16 graduate credits after admission Form 2: Applying for candidacy in a graduate degree program Taking the written exam at the end of course work Form 3: Proposing a research paper or thesis Doing the work and writing the results Form 4: Applying for graduation Submitting the research paper or thesis for review Form 5: Scheduling the oral examination Defending your graduate work Diploma	This month . . . · The Process: Form 3 and Paper/Thesis · The Process: Form 4 and Curriculum Vita · The Process: Form 5 and Defense Preparations · Q&A: Question of the Month?
	The Process: Form 3 and Paper/Thesis
	Form 3: Write your research proposal per guidelines of your department or program. Fill out Form 3, obtain signatures from your committee members, and submit the form to the School of Graduate Studies. Which Form 3 you use is dependent upon your Program. If you are completing a Master of Science (MS) or a Master of Arts (MA), you will use the Master of Science Form 3. If you are completing a Master of Education (MEd) or a Master of Special Education (MSpd), you will use the Applied Masters Form 3. Final Paper/Project: Research/Thesis Paper Prepare your Research/Thesis paper both with the guidance of your committee and according to the Handbook for the Preparation of the Thesis or Research Paper (the link is on the Graduate Studies web page). If you are completing a degree in English, you will need to use MLA formatting. All other departments will use APA unless otherwise determined by your department. The English department also offers the option of a Creative Thesis. Talk to your advisor for additional details. Research Paper – 2 credits. Thesis – 4-6 credits. Capstone Project A or B If you are completing a Master of Education (MEd) or a Master of Special Education (MSpd), you will also complete a Capstone Project for your final project. Talk to your advisor about which Project is most appropriate for your program. Prepare your project both with the guidance of your committee and according to the Handbook for the Preparation of the Thesis or Research Paper (the link is on the Graduate Studies web page). It will be necessary to use APA formatting. This final paper/project is meant to demonstrate your ability to work independently and give evidence of independent thought in perceiving problems and making satisfactory progress toward their solution. You will need to submit one copy of your paper/project, either electronically or in hard copy, to the School of Graduate Studies for formatting review.
Q&A: Question of the month? Q: How do I align page numbers in the Table of Contents? A: In Microsoft^® Word, go to the Format menu and select Tabs. Select or type in the tab stop position and select Alignment Right and Leader 2 (……). This and other formatting tips are addressed in the Handbook for the Preparation of the Thesis or Research Paper, which can be found on the Graduate Studies website.
	The Process: Form 4 and Curriculum Vita
	Form 4: After Form 3 is approved, you need to complete Form 4, the Application for Graduation. Submit this form, along with the curriculum vita sheet and a non-refundable $10 graduation fee, to the School of Graduate Studies no later than the first week of the semester in which you plan to complete your oral defense and satisfy all degree requirements for graduation. · Graduate faculty representative – Leave blank; assigned by School of Graduate Studies. Do not schedule your oral defense until this assignment has been made! · Summer graduation – If you plan to participate in spring Commencement ceremonies, apply by April 1 of the Spring semester. Curriculum Vita: This sheet must contain a precise listing of all courses to be used in fulfillment of your master's degree program. Examples are online at the Graduate Forms link. · School of Graduate Studies – Information provided to the School of Graduate Studies will be incomplete, because the scheduling of the oral defense and the assigning of the graduate faculty representative will be done later. · Oral Examination Committee – Prior to the oral examination, the School of Graduate Studies does a preliminary review of the coursework completed. Subsequently, the candidate must provide the committee with a completed curriculum vita at the time of the oral defense only.
	The Process: Form 5 and Defense Preparations
	Form 5: Submit the final draft of your Research/Thesis paper or Capstone Project to your committee for review and feedback. Complete the Pre-Defense Signature Form, obtain signatures, and submit the form to the School of Graduate Studies. Oral-Defense: Contact your committee members and the graduate faculty representative to schedule your oral defense. Inform the School of Graduate Studies of the date, time, and location; submit a revised curriculum vita. (At the oral defense, you will also provide committee members with a copy of the revised curriculum vita.) At least three weeks before the defense, submit one unbound copy of your paper/project, either electronically or in hard copy, to the School of Graduate Studies for review and forwarding to the graduate faculty representative. For current forms and information, go to Graduate Studies and select the Graduate Forms link.
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