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1997-98 Graduation Deadlines | All Graduate Students | Commencement and Convocation | Diplomas and Transcripts | Honor Designations | Letter of Completion | Students in Dissertation, Thesis, and Selected Project Programs

All Graduate Students

Final Semester Registration

Before applying for graduation, a graduate student should have completed all course work on his or her approved program of study or be currently registered for the remaining requirements. During the final semester, or the semester of final oral and written examinations, a graduate student must either register or pay an equivalent registration fee to the Office of Graduate Studies for at least 2 semester hours of credit. Audit and independent study credits do not count.

Application for Graduation

Graduate students should apply for graduation by the deadlines listed in the University Graduate Studies Calendar. Applications received after the deadlines will be processed for the next graduation. All students must (1) pay the graduation fee to the Cashiers' Office and (2) formally apply with their department.

After the department has completed its preliminary check and given its approval, the Office of Graduate Studies does a final check. Students will be notified of the results of this evaluation and informed of any problems that need attention.

Graduation Fees

Doctoral candidates $25
Master's candidates $20
TESL certificate applicants $20
Psychological specialists $20

1997-98 Graduation Deadlines

See the University Graduate Studies Calendar for graduation deadlines.

General Caution: The graduation deadlines are firm. Students submitting materials after the deadlines will be candidates for the next graduation.

Students in Dissertation, Thesis, and Selected Project Programs

Students in selected project programs must meet the same requirements as students in dissertation and thesis programs with regard to the scheduling of the final oral defense, the composition of the graduate committee, and the standards and format of the major written work. The following departments offer selected project programs: Agronomy and Horticulture, Botany and Range Science, Dance, Instructional Psychology and Technology, Nursing, Technology Education and Construction Management, Theatre and Film, and Zoology.

Format Requirements

Colleges and departments, not the Office of Graduate Studies, are responsible for both the content and the format of dissertations, theses, and selected projects. These works are expected to meet the highest standards of excellence in substance and in appearance. The Graduate Council, in its review of graduate programs, and the graduate dean select dissertations, theses, and projects for reading and review.

Requirements regarding the number of copies to be submitted and the format of such items as the title page, the graduate committee approval page, and the abstract page are described in a handout available from either the department or the Office of Graduate Studies.

Scheduling the Oral Defense

All students in dissertation, thesis, or selected project programs must schedule the final oral examination at least two weeks in advance. Final examinations may not be held during the interim periods between semesters.

Copy of Work Placed in Library

All members of the BYU academic community are invited to attend the final defenses of dissertations and theses. Therefore, all students in dissertation, thesis, or selected project programs are required to place an unbound copy of their work in the Reserve Library (3114 HBLL, Provo, UT 84602-6817) at the time the final oral examination is scheduled (two weeks in advance of the oral final) to enable interested faculty and students to review it before the examination.

Final Copies

Ample time should be allowed for making corrections to the work after the final oral defense and before the deadline for submitting final copies to the library (December 5, 1997, for December 1997; March 20, 1998, for April 1998; and July 13, 1998, for August 1998).

Commencement and Convocation

All candidates for graduation are encouraged to participate in the university's commencement and convocation exercises in either April or August (students completing degrees in December are invited to participate in the following April's commencement activities). Master's and doctoral candidates are individually recognized in their respective college convocation exercises.

Honor Designations

No honor designations are given upon conferral of advanced degrees. Various honor societies, however, may nominate graduate students for membership.

Diplomas and Transcripts

Diplomas are mailed to graduates from six to eight weeks after graduation. Receipt of the degree is recorded on the student's official transcript within one month after graduation, and a complimentary copy of the transcript is mailed with the diploma.

Letter of Completion

After a graduate student has completed all the requirements for graduation, the Office of Graduate Studies can furnish a letter of completion if the student requests it. This document certifies that the student has satisfied all the requirements for the degree and confirms that the degree will be conferred.


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Please report any errors. Updated May 20, 1997, by web_grad_cat@byu.edu