Doctoral Degree Information

The following information is provided to help you successfully complete your Doctoral degree at FAU. 

• Email Communications:  Please note that your FAU email address is the official email address used by the Graduate College for communication with you.  It is imperative that you check your FAU email address on a regular basis AND confirm you have space available to receive email.
  

• Graduate Student Association:  The Graduate Student Association (GSA) represents FAU's graduate student population.  Simply by being a graduate student, you are already a member of this organization.  The GSA strives to enrich the graduate student experience by providing academic support, social programming and networking opportunities.  Please visit the GSA website to learn more about their mission and upcoming events:  http://www.fau.edu/sga/gsa.php.
  
  

• Plan of Study:  All graduate students pursuing a Doctoral Degree must submit a Plan of Study (Form 5) to the Graduate College.  A Plan of Study should be filed with the Graduate College prior to the completion of one-half of your coursework.   

PowerPoint Tutorial:  Creating the Perfect Plan of Study: Do’s and Don’ts
Instructions for completing the Plan of Study form
Example of a completed Plan of Study form
Plan of Study form (Form 5)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about the Plan of Study

Please note:   Adobe Reader 9.0 is required to download and enter information on Graduate College forms. Once you have completed a form, you can save it as a PDF document on your computer.  It is recommended that you use Internet Explorer when saving the forms.
Click here to download a free version of Adobe Reader 9.0.

• Admission to Candidacy:  Admission to candidacy is universally recognized as a milestone for any graduate student pursuing a doctoral degree.  The State University System requires that all doctoral students be admitted to candidacy before they are allowed to take dissertation credit hours.  Since doctoral programs are given great latitude to establish when and how candidacy is earned, it is important for you to familiarize yourself with your program's candidacy requirements.  Once you have met all the requirements, simply submit the Admission to Candidacy for the Doctoral Degree (Form 8) to the Graduate College so that you can be cleared to take your required dissertation credit hours.

• Plan of Study Revisions:  As a student progresses through his/her graduate program, it may become necessary to modify an approved Plan of Study.  Changes to an approved Plan of Study require the submission and approval of the Revision to Existing Plan of Study (Form 9). Revisions need only be filed once and may be submitted during the term the student plans to graduate, prior to the Application for Degree deadline.

• Thesis & Dissertation Guidelines:   Please consult the Thesis and Dissertation Guidelines for specific instructions on the preparation, formatting and publication of your dissertation, and how to submit your manuscript to the Graduate College.

• Request to Waive a University Regulation:  This form is used to request an exception to written University policies regarding graduate studies at FAU.  Submit the Request to Waive a University Regulation (Form 10) to the Graduate College for approval.

• Planning to Graduate?  Review this calendar to ensure you are on track to graduate:
  
  Summer 2009 Graduation
  Fall 2009 Graduation
  Spring 2010 Graduation
  
  

• Application for Degree:   The Application for Degree form must be submitted to the Registrar’s Office by the deadline specified in the Academic Calendar during the semester in which you plan to graduate.  Note: Meet with your advisor prior to completing the Application for Degree form as some colleges have additional requirements for submitting the Application for Degree.

• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)