2005-06 Ed.D. Handbook

Department and Graduate School (GS) procedures and timelines

Ed.D. Examinations and Papers

During their program, students complete the following examinations and papers in the order listed. Each is explained in greater detail below.

1. Degree Program (must be filed one semester before Preliminary Oral Examination)
2. Written Preliminary Examination
3. Department Preliminary Oral Examination (includes chapters I and II of the applied thesis project)
4. Thesis Proposal (prospectus) & Prospectus Meeting
5. Human Subjects Approval of Conduct of Research (IRB approval)
6. Approval of Dissertation for Final Defense
7. Final Oral Examination: Defense of the Doctoral Thesis
8. Thesis Copy

1. DEGREE PROGRAM
The degree program is filed with the Graduate School usually during the second year of study. It must be approved at least one semester before taking the preliminary oral exam. The form identifies which courses the student has been and will be taking, and who will serve on the preliminary oral committee (see discussion below regarding composition of the committee). Students should confer with their adviser(s) when developing the degree program form. To complete the program form, please review the Ed.D. Requirement Checklist (see section on Forms and Deadlines for details). The adviser(s) and the Director of graduate studies must approve the degree program; the Graduate School has final approval of degree program (see section on Transfer Credits in this handbook, and the Graduate School Catalog for details about transferring credits from other institutions and from other programs at the University of Minnesota).

The minimum requirements for the composition of the examining committee is four members: three from the major (one of whom is the adviser), and one from the minor or supporting program (i.e., outside the department). However, some faculty in the Department of Educational Policy and Administration have joint appointments in other departments and can be used by students as the outside member if appropriate for their program and approved by the adviser.

Students who elect to add a minor will have a minor adviser in addition to a major adviser. The minor adviser is a member of the committee, must sign the degree form and serves on the final examining committee. The minor adviser can serve instead of or in addition to a member from a supporting field. In the latter case, the student will have five rather than the required four members on the committee.

Checklist - Prior to completion of the form, read the GS instructions for completion. Below are the most common errors made in completion of the form.

GS 89a. (first page)

__ Check the Web site below to verify the graduate status of committee members. www.grad.umn.edu/faculty_rosters/step1.asp

__ List the names of three “Major Field Examiners” and identify one person as your chair/adviser.

__ Check to make sure that your adviser has SM or ASM¹ appointment in the Graduate School.

__ List one name in the “Minor, Related Field, or Supporting Program Examiner” who has graduate status in another department.

__ If you have declared a minor, the minor advisor’s name must serve on the committee under “Minor”.

__ At least 2 of the 4 faculty have SM or ASM1 appointments in the Graduate School. Both the adviser and the person chairing the final exam must have SM or ASM status. Your adviser can not chair the final exam.

¹ SM=Senior Member; ASM=Affiliate Senior Member;
M2=Member/Advising; AM2=Affiliate Member/Advising

GS 89b. (second page)

__ All I.D. and personal information blanks are completed.

__ Under “Major”, identify both the major (EdPA) and track are indicated,  e.g., EdPA – International Ed.D.

__ Leave “Minor” blank unless you have formally declared a minor.

__ List all courses chronologically – first courses listed will be those you intend to transfer.

__ Total number of credits of transfer courses does not exceed the limit.

__ Transfer courses do not include any undergraduate courses, graduate courses taken as an undergraduate, Continuing Education or Liberal Studies courses.

__ For transfer courses, institution name is provided rather than the instructor name.

__ Transcripts are not needed (you should have turned in official transcripts when applying).

__  Courses TO BE TAKEN IN THE FUTURE are included (date to be taken can be left
blank). Any needed course substitutions can easily be made later through a petition.

__  In the column “Major Course/Other”, a check appears under “Major” for all EdPA courses regardless of whether or not they are required in the student’s program.

__  In the column “Major Course/Other”, a check appears under “Other” for courses in all other departments regardless of whether or not they were required in student’s program. That is, any course in another department, even if required in the EdPA program, is considered “other” by the Graduate School.

__  All of course credits listed are semester courses; if courses were taken under quarter system, credits have been converted to semester credits (see conversion table under “Transfer” in Handbook).

__  All required courses in the program are listed (unless adviser approved substitutions); courses listed on program can be checked against the program requirements (see Chapter 2 in Handbook).

__  The total sum of all EdPA course credits are entered under “Total Major Credits” (should not include the 24 thesis credits).

__  The total sum of all credits other than EdPA are entered under “Total Other Credits”.

__  “Total Major” plus “Total Other Program” equals the “Total Credits”. This total of the previous two categories does NOT include the 24 thesis credits.

__  Sign as adviser and, if applicable, ask student to obtain signature of minor adviser before submitting to the DGS staff.

The petition process to modify a filed program
After the program is filed, students can complete a petition to request the following: change in the course work on the approved degree program form, an extension of time to complete the degree (5-year time limit to complete the doctoral degree is computed from the semester following the passing of the preliminary oral examination), and transfer of course work not originally on the approved degree program form.

The adviser and DGS must sign the petition. Completing the petition process is not difficult; students should not postpone the filing of their program past their second year based on the assumption that they may not be able to take the specific courses currently planned or that the process of changing the program would be difficult.

Students must complete all courses on the program for graduation (unless petitions have been filed); no incompletes can remain in the filed program. Students requesting an incomplete grade must complete a contractual form signed by both the student and the instructor. The form specifies what must be done before the incomplete grade can be removed (form available on the department Web site under “Student Resources.”

2. WRITTEN PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION
Successful completion of the written preliminary examination is a necessary step in the process of advancing to doctoral candidacy in the Department of Educational Policy and Administration. Before taking the preliminary oral examination and advancing to candidacy, students must pass a written preliminary exam.

Eligibility
To be eligible to write the preliminary examination, students must have completed or be currently enrolled in the last of their department and program core courses, have an “active” status with the Graduate School (maintained by registering every fall and spring), and be in good standing with the Graduate School. Students do not need to be enrolled for course credit at the time of the writing of the preliminary examination. In order to demonstrate timely and adequate progress toward the degree, students should schedule and complete the written preliminary examination no later than the semester following the completion of coursework. The cohort faculty coordinator (s) will communicate the exam process to the specified on-site proctor.

Procedures
Students in all program areas must register with DGS staff for their written preliminary examination. With faculty coordinator/adviser and DGS staff approval, members of the international Ed.D. cohort may arrange to complete the written exam at their international work site on a mutually agreed upon day and time. Working with the CGS and faculty coordinators, students may nominate an off campus exam proctor (typically a supervisor or colleague who does not report to student). The student must complete a proctor information form (see EdPA webpage under “Student Resources”) and obtain approval from the DGS staff. The proctor receives the examination from the department, administers the examination, and returns it to the department within a designated time frame.

For each student, the pass or fail of the examination (original or retake) is reported on the Preliminary Written Examination Report Form, and signed by the student’s adviser and the director of graduate studies in Educational Policy and Administration. The result is then sent to the Graduate School. This must be done before the preliminary oral examination can be scheduled.

Closed-book written examination
The Ed.D. preliminary examination is designed to assess the student’s familiarity with content, interconnections, and meaning of the program’s core curriculum. It is intended to test a student’s capacity for informed, coherent, and critical reflection on dimensions of educational leadership such as conceptual approaches to thinking about leadership and educational organizations; essential skills for educational administrators; and leadership applications to such issues as educational quality, student achievement, diversity, equity, justice, and quality assurance in education.

This is a four-hour closed book examination. Students will be presented with three or four questions of which students need to answer two. The examination does not seek to test students’ memory for fine detail. The questions, which will be prepared by the program co-directors, will be broad. Students are expected to present well-written, well-reasoned, critical, integrative discussions. Outlining one’s response to a question in advance of writing is highly recommended. Answers will be scored on quality, not length. References to the ore literature and key authors are expected.

Responses to the written preliminary examination should demonstrate:

1. Clarity in framing issues, elucidating ideas and structuring arguments;
2. Reasonable completeness regarding main points and themes;
3. Coherent reasoning from assumptions to conclusions;
4. Thoughtful use of evidence to support assertions; and
5. Appropriate as well as correct use of English language.

Students can chose to complete the examination using computer or paper and pencil (a computer is preferred). Students take the examination approximately the same time as other members of the cohort. The preliminary written exam is anticipated for Fall 2007.

Grading of the Preliminary Exam
Each of the questions will be read by two faculty readers selected by the program faculty members. Each reader will independently evaluate each essay response to the questions on Part I and assign a score of “Pass”, “Revise”, or “Fail”.

If the ratings of the two readers are different, a third program faculty member will be asked to evaluate the exam, serving as a tie breaker (this may result in a delay in returning the results to the student). A student must receive a pass from at least two readers to pass the preliminary examinations. A faculty member who assigns a “revise” or “fail” must specify the key shortcomings of the paper. Since the purpose of the exam is to determine whether or not the student is ready to proceed in the program, the feedback on the exam is limited to those who fail or must revise the exam.

If an exam is assigned a “pass”, the student and adviser receive a letter indicating such and no reader feedback is provided. In the event that the first writing is not a pass (i.e., is either a “revise” or a “fail”), the student’s adviser will provide the student with the readers’ feedback comments.

If the first writing is a “revise” the student is allowed to revise a question or the exam. The revision uses the same exam question(s) as the first exam. The possible outcomes of this revision are “pass” or “fail”; there is no option for revising the revision response.

If the first writing is a “fail” or if the revision is a “fail”, the student is allowed to take a new, second examination at the next administration. The possible outcomes of this second writing of the exam are “pass”, “revise”, or “fail”. If the exam attempt #2 receives a “revise”, the student may revise the response to the same exam. Should exam attempt #2 or revision of attempt #2 result in failure, an additional attempt may be allowed, but only on the basis of a petition.

A petition to take another exam must persuasively indicate extenuating circumstances for previous attempts that were not successful. In the instance of a petition, the program faculty will determine whether or not to allow an additional writing of the exam. If the petition is successful and the student is allowed to take another exam, the exam options are only “pass” or “fail”. If this final exam is failed, another attempt will not be granted in any case.

Notification
Notification of the outcome of the examination will be sent to students and their advisers as soon as the faculty exam readers have read the exam and the results have been determined. Since the grading of some exams will be finished before others due to individual faculty schedules and commitments, not all students will receive notifications at the same time. In addition, any re-readings that must be completed to break a tie will delay the notification of results to the student.

When the preliminary written exam has been passed, the adviser receives a copy of the Preliminary Written Examination Report Form (GS Form 17) <www.grad.umn.edu/Current_Students/forms/gs17.pdf>. The adviser signs and returns the form to the DGS. This must be completed before the student can schedule the preliminary oral examination.

3. ORAL PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION
The oral preliminary examination is the point at which as student’s candidacy for the Ed.D. degree is determined. The examination is conducted by the student’s four committee members, all of whom have advising status within the Graduate School. Three members are from within the Department of Educational Policy and Administration and one is from outside the Department. At least two weeks prior to the oral preliminary examination, the student must provide a copy of the literature review to each committee member.

In order to demonstrate timely and adequate progress toward the degree, students should schedule and complete the oral preliminary examination no later than the end of the second continuous semester following the completion of the written preliminary examination. Requests for extension beyond the required date must be approved by the adviser and the Director of graduate studies. It is the student’s responsibility to schedule the preliminary examination with the committee members on a suitable date, reserve a room through the department office, and notify the Graduate School of the date and time at least one week in advance of the examination by filing the Doctoral Preliminary Oral Examination Scheduling Form (GS Form 12 <www.grad.umn.edu/Current_Students/forms/gs12.pdf>); notification can also be completed via the Web or by calling the Graduate School (5-5833). The Graduate School sends the oral preliminary examination form to the committee chairperson.

The preliminary oral is a general knowledge examination, which is conducted in accordance with Graduate School policy. All assigned members must be present at the preliminary oral examination. Substitutions can be made in the case of an emergency, but the Graduate School must be informed in advance of the examination; only an adviser or the DGS staff can notify the Graduate School. The absence of a member results in an invalid examination. In advance of the exam, the chair of the committee receives from the Graduate School the Preliminary Oral Examination Form, which must be signed and returned within 24 hours of the examination.

The preliminary oral examination is in two parts: Part I which is Chapters I and II of the applied thesis project . Part II is the Thesis Proposal (Prospectus) paper that includes methodology and methods plans for conducting the field project. The format of the Part I exam includes the following process:

1. Three to five minutes of self introduction, sharing relevant professional background, experiences, and describing his/her interest in the thesis topic,
2. Ten to 15 minutes presenting the study rationale and brief overview of the literature, emphasizing key findings, as well as gaps in the literature, and
3. Five to ten minutes discussing the thesis problem statement and research question(s) that will guide the thesis research.

During the preliminary oral examination, committee members may ask question related to the field study topic or any area covered in the student’s academic program. After questioning, the student is excused and the committee members independently vote by ballot to “pass,” “pass with reservations,” or “fail” the student’s examination. Members then engage in a discussion about the student’s examination and finally, vote a second time. To pass the examination, the student must receive at least three of four pass votes.

A “pass with reservations” qualifies as a “pass” for vote counting purposes, but the exam outcome is recorded as “pass with reservations.” This outcome requires the committee chairperson, in consultation with committee members, to construct a letter to the Graduate School that indicates the specific nature of the reservations and the steps that must be taken for the reservations to be removed. The student receives a copy of the letter. The final oral defense may not be scheduled or conducted until the Graduate school receives a letter indicating that the reservations have been removed.

If the student has expanded the Part II examination paper into a fully developed project prospectus, the second part of the oral preliminary examination can function as a Prospectus Meeting with adviser approval (presenting prospectus and obtaining approval from the committee) in lieu of an oral examination over the Part II exam. Holding the Prospectus Meeting as a part of the Oral Preliminary Examination has the advantage of eliminating the need for a second meeting of the committee; the disadvantage is that to develop a full prospectus takes additional time after completing the Part II paper.

After a successful oral examination, the student becomes a candidate for degree and may then register for thesis credits (the total of 24 must be taken over at least two semesters, which may include the summer term.

The semester after passing the preliminary oral examination, the student must file the Thesis Proposal Form with the Graduate School.

4. THESIS PROPOSAL (PROSPECTUS) & PROSPECTUS MEETING
The student must complete a formal thesis proposal (prospectus) to present at the thesis proposal meeting. After the student has passed the oral preliminary examination, the student will work with their faculty adviser to develop a comprehensive written field study topic that details the plans for completion of the field project for committee review.

The written prospectus for conducting thesis research typically includes at least the following:

• a brief and focused presentation of relevant literature,
• a statement of the problem,
• specific research questions that will guide the inquiry,
• limitations and delimitations,
• the research design with a corresponding rationale,
• specific sampling, data collection, and data analysis procedures that will be employed in the study, and
• instruments that will be used in the study.

For most students, the prospectus serves as very good draft for the final Chapters 1 and 3 of the doctoral thesis. At least two weeks prior to the prospectus meeting, the student must provide each committee member with a complete draft of the prospectus.

Thesis Proposal (Prospectus) Meeting
After the student completes the preliminary oral examination and the formal thesis proposal (prospectus), but prior to the beginning the thesis research, the student meets with his or her adviser(s) and the other members of the thesis panel to discuss the thesis proposal. Approval of the prospectus for thesis research is granted by the student’s three department committee members (the outside member is frequently in attendance as well).

At the time of the prospectus meeting, the student presents a summary of the proposed research, focusing on the specific design and methodology. The faculty then pose questions and offer suggestions for improving the design and methodology of the study. Only after the approval of the prospectus, should the student complete the forms for human subjects and begin the research process.

Students should bring a Thesis Panel Review Sheet (see form in department Web site under “Student Resources” to their prospectus meeting. At the prospectus meeting, the student and faculty panel come to an understanding of what the student proposes to do for the dissertation research project. The panel members are responsible for reviewing and approving the proposal outlining the content and methods of the study. These graduate faculty have the responsibility to ensure that the proposed study meets high standards for the ethical and relevant conduct of research at the University of Minnesota. For this reason, students must present very specific procedures for the conduct of the proposed research. Approval will not be granted until the written prospectus and the student’s presentation indicate that the student is prepared to initiate application to the Human Subjects Committee and, upon approval from this panel, initiate data collection. The prospectus approval process not only serves to ensure the integrity of research conducted through the University of Minnesota, it also serves as a safeguard for students.

The panel members evaluate the content and method of the proposal and may authorize the conduct of the study pursuant to the proposal, amend the proposal during the course of the review as a result of suggestions, or reject the proposal. Approval of the research prospectus indicates faculty support of the proposed research design and methodology. The signed Thesis Panel Review Sheet should be returned to the EdPA Graduate Studies staff; the form is a department document and does not go to the Graduate School. After the department form has been signed, the three-part thesis proposal form from the Graduate School (GS 63) should be completed and forwarded to the EdPA Graduate Studies staff who will forward to the Graduate School for approval.

The three-part thesis proposal form consists of the Transmittal (GS 63a) with recommended final committee members, Title of Ed.D. Thesis (GS 63b), and Thesis Abstract (GS 63c). After obtaining approval of the Thesis Proposal Form, the student can obtain from the Graduate School the Graduation Packet consisting of the Application for Degree Form the Commencement Attendance Approval Form, the Reviewers Report Form, Microfilm Agreement, Survey of Earned Doctorates, copyright information, and degree clearance instructions. Note that most of these documents can be obtained online at <www.grad.umn.edu/current_students/forms/doctoral.html>.

5. HUMAN SUBJECTS RESEARCH APPROVAL
Any research that employs the use of human subjects on or off campus must be approved in advance by the Human Subjects Committee prior to the gathering of the data. The University of Minnesota and federal policies require that each project involving humans subjects be reviewed with respect to: (1) the rights and welfare of the individual(s) involved, (2) the appropriateness of the methods used to secure informed consent, and (3) the risks and potential benefits of the investigation.

Information and forms are available at <www.irb.umn.edu/applying/> or the Institutional Review Board (IRB) Office. Questions concerning exemptions or other aspects of human subjects research review should be addressed to the IRB: Human Subjects Committee at (612) 626-5654 or fax (612) 626-6061. The web site provides detailed information about the process and the conditions for each of the possible levels of review. There are three form/level options: a “full committee review”, an “expedited review” and an “exempted review”. The “full review” requires a full review of the IRB and may take four to six weeks for review and notification of their decision. These forms are appropriate for research designs that may involve a potential threat to the human subjects and thus may involve more deliberation. The “expedited review” involves minimal risk to human subjects but has some risk elements. The “exempted review” applies to those research projects that involve some minimal risk and thus is exempt from further IRB review. Most research in the department qualifies for the exempted review. Exemption waives only the need for further review and does not negate the need for the consent of subjects where applicable. The exempted review requests an exemption from the full review of the board and takes about two weeks for a review and decision. The forms must be signed by student, adviser and department chair; no DGS signature is required (the line for DGS signature applies to faculty research only). If, however, the adviser and the department chair are the same person, the College dean needs to sign the form.

Research may not be initiated until written notification of exemption is received. This includes recruitment of subjects, advertising, mailing or distributing consent forms, and data gathering. Any requirements indicated in the response of the Human Subjects Committee must be addressed before commencement of the research project.

6. APPROVAL OF DISSERTATION FOR FINAL DEFENSE
A complete and essentially final draft of the dissertation must be submitted to and approved by the three readers prior to the final oral defense. The judgments of the readers are recorded on a Reviewers Report Form that the Graduate School includes in the student’s Graduation Packet. Two of the readers are from inside the department and the third reader is the outside/minor adviser committee member (if the student has elected a minor, the minor adviser must be a reader). Each reviewer is allowed at least two weeks to read the complete written dissertation. Each reader makes an independent determination about the readiness of the dissertation for final oral defense. In order to proceed to the final oral defense, all of the reviewers must indicate that the thesis is “acceptable for final defense” or is “acceptable with minor revisions”. If any reviewer indicates that the thesis is “unacceptable for defense and requires major revisions”, the reviewer must inform the student in writing of the revisions required. Such revisions must be made prior to the final defense.

7. FINAL ORAL EXAMINATION: DEFENSE OF THE DOCTORAL THESIS
Upon completion of the dissertation, the student defends the dissertation at a formal meeting of the dissertation committee. This final oral examination is conducted in accordance with Graduate School policy. The committee consists minimally of four members: three members from the major field and one from a supporting program/minor (if a student has elected a minor, the minor adviser must be a reader and must be present at the final examination). A member other than the adviser must chair the final oral examination. All assigned committee members must be present at the final examination. The absence of any member results in an invalid examination. Substitutions can be made in the case of an emergency but the Graduate School must be informed in advance of the examination; only an adviser or the DGS staff can notify the Graduate School.

To be eligible for the final oral examination a student must meet the following criteria: (1) satisfactorily completed all work on the official doctoral degree program form; (2) passed both the written and oral preliminary examinations; (3) maintained active status (have registered each fall and spring); (4) satisfied the thesis credit requirement; and (5) be within the time limit for degree completion, i.e., within five years of the oral prelim. In addition, the thesis must have been certified by the three readers (two in the major and one outside the major) as ready for defense; the Reviewers’ Report Form must be filed in Graduate School at least one week before scheduled exam.

It is the student’s responsibility to schedule the final oral examination with the committee members on a suitable date, to reserve a room through the department office, and to schedule the exam with the Graduate School at least one week in advance of the examination using the Examination Schedule for Doctoral Final Oral; scheduling can also be done via the Web <www.grad.umn.edu/current_students/forms/doctoral.html> or by phone (5-0168). The Graduate School will not release the Examination Form to the adviser until the student has scheduled the exam. It is also the student’s responsibility to provide all committee members with copies of the completed dissertation in advance of the final oral examination; students should allow committee members a reasonable length of time to read the thesis, at least two weeks prior to the scheduled oral defense.

The examination is a thesis defense although questions and discussion may focus on related areas. The examination consists of three parts: (1) a seminar open to the public in which the student presents the thesis research (check with adviser regarding length and format); (2) a closed meeting between the candidate and the examining committee during which committee members ask questions of the candidate that may include questions in related areas as well as the thesis; (3) after excusing the candidate, a vote taken by the committee members on whether the candidate passed the examination. The exam will not exceed three hours. Before commencing the examination, the chair will ask the student and any guests to leave the room for a few minutes to give the committee members an opportunity to clarify any issues or ask questions of the chair or adviser about procedures.

Typically, the formal presentation of the thesis includes a summary of the research, i.e., the purpose, framework, data analysis, major findings, conclusions and implications for practice, policy and research. The presentation is typically 20-30 minutes and can be enhanced by handouts or overheads that outline the presentation and address key findings or conclusions. A short curriculum vitae may also be appropriate. The presentation should be rehearsed to improve timing, organization and ease in presentation.

The student may choose to open the student presentation segment of the examination to outside guests (e.g., family members, friends, graduate students, and faculty). After the presentation and a period of brief comments or questions from guests, they are excused. The faculty then pose questions to the student pertaining to any aspect of the dissertation. After questioning is completed, the student is excused and committee members independently vote once by ballot to “pass” or “fail” the student’s defense of the thesis. In order to “pass”, three of the committee members must vote “pass”. While the three readers must have read the dissertation and signed the form indicating the dissertation acceptable for defense, the judgment made at the final oral relates to the acceptability of the defense of the dissertation by the candidate.

If the judgment is that the examination was a “pass” but minor revisions are needed in the dissertation, the committee members sign the final oral defense form. If the written thesis is judged to require substantial revisions, signatures are withheld until appropriate revisions have been made. If the signatures are withheld, the Graduate School must be notified in writing within one week of the examination of the specific revisions required. The letter is constructed by the final oral chairperson in consultation with committee members. The student receives a copy of the letter. Upon approval of the final written thesis, committee members sign the form. Please refer to the University of Minnesota Graduate School Catalog <www.grad.umn.edu/catalog/> for details about scheduling and reporting results of the final oral examination.

The department exam refreshment policy allows but limits the custom of providing refreshments at oral prelims, prospectus meetings and final oral defenses. The guidelines below are designed to focus the exam on the academic purpose rather than to serve as a distraction and put unwelcome financial pressures on some students. The department offers two guidelines for student provision of refreshments at these events:

• No refreshments are necessary or expected at oral prelims, prospectus meetings, oral defenses, etc. Coffee, tea, and water are typically available in the department office (Wulling 330).
• If students choose to provide refreshments, they should not exceed a beverage and one other item (e.g., cookies OR pastries OR any other similar item).

NOTE: The signed final exam Graduate School form must be submitted to the Graduate School within 24 hours of the examination (one working day). A copy is made for the student’s file and should be submitted to the EdPA DGS.

8. THESIS
One unbound copy of the thesis and one copy of the thesis abstract (both signed by the adviser) are required for the Graduate School. University Microfilms, Inc., rather than the University Archives, serves as the official archival source for doctoral dissertations. The copy may be on standard white copy or printer paper. Students should consult with advisers about other copies. Formatting guidelines can be found at <www.grad.umn.edu/Current_Students/forms/doctoral.html>.

Scholarly Written Products
The department has high expectations for doctoral scholarly written work. Student writing should reflect an appropriate level of basic composition skills, accepted professional writing style, and appropriate attribution.

It is important to note that the standards for scholarly writing are determined by the discipline as well as the cultural context. At the University of Minnesota, you will be expected to follow the standards and conventions of scholarly writing that prevail in the U.S.

Quality of Writing
A high level of writing skill is expected for graduate students. While the program offers courses to assist students to reach an appropriate level of research understanding and skills, students are responsible for attaining an appropriate level of writing skills.

To assist in this development, students can take advantage of various courses, services, and manuals. If appropriate, students should use a college level writing handbook for reference when completing written assignments. No specific grammar and composition handbook is recommended; several satisfactory versions are available in the University bookstores. For information about the wide variety of writing resources available to University of Minnesota students, see Chapter 5, Student Services and Resources.

Manuscript Writing Style
Students will be expected to use the manuscript style of the American Psychological Association (APA) in their writing. Learning and using the APA style early assists students in reading the professional literature and preparing their final dissertation. Students should note the guidelines in the APA Manual for general guidance about writing as well as for citation of sources including electronic references. APA assistance can also be obtained in an interactive, electronic resource; information is available at <www.apastyle.org>.

Academic Dishonesty/Plagiarism
As noted in the Web sites below, a major purpose of graduate education at the University of Minnesota is to instill in each student an understanding of and capacity for scholarship, independent judgment, academic rigor, and intellectual honesty. To maintain the highest ethical standards of professional conduct and integrity, the university has articulated the complementary responsibilities of faculty and graduate students in support of intellectual honesty.

Scholastic dishonesty means plagiarizing; cheating on assignments or examinations; engaging in unauthorized collaboration on academic work; taking, acquiring, or using test materials without faculty permission; submitting false or incomplete records of academic achievement; acting alone or in cooperation with another to falsify records or to obtain dishonestly grades, honors, awards, or professional endorsement; or altering, forging, or misusing a University academic record; or fabricating or falsifying of data, research procedures, or data analysis.

Students need to be aware of the potential and consequences of plagiarism. Any work taken from another source must be documented, and in no case should another person’s work be presented as one’s own. The use of exact words of others, and previous research clearly requires citation; citing another’s ideas through paraphrasing or restating someone’s else’s analysis or conclusions may be less obvious but is considered plagiarism if presented without attribution. Inadequate citations constitute plagiarism and can result in failing a course and possible dismissal from the University. If in doubt, students should check the APA Manual or consult with their professor or adviser. Examples of acceptable and unacceptable paraphrasing follow.

Websites of relevant information including university policies and procedures are below.

• Regents' code for student conduct follow this link: <http://www1.umn.edu/regents/policies/academic/Student_Conduct_Code.pdf>
  This link leads to the Office for student academic integrity Web site. <www.osai.umn.edu>
•  Code of Conduct, Mutual Responsibilities in Graduate Education, and Other Resources: <www.research.umn.edu/ethics/>
• Academic Misconduct: <http://www1.umn.edu/regents/policies/humanresources/Academic_Misconduct.html>

Time Limits for the Completion of Doctoral Degree
All requirements for the doctoral degree must be completed within five years from the end of the semester following the semester in which the student passed the preliminary oral examination. If the student is unable to complete the degree by the deadline, he or she may petition the Graduate School for an extension of the time limit. Petitions should be filed no later than early in the semester in which the time limit will expire. The petition must be completed by the student and signed by both the adviser and the DGS. For full details see the Graduate School Catalog and information from the Graduate School. Guidelines can be found at <www.grad.umn.edu/Current_Students/forms/doctoral.html>.

Graduation and Commencement
“Graduation” is often confused with “commencement”; they are different and have different deadlines and procedures. While the Graduate School degrees are awarded monthly, commencement is held only twice a year, December and May.

Commencement
The Graduate School commencement ceremonies are held in the late spring and late fall only. January through June graduates usually attend the spring ceremony, July through December graduates usually attend the fall ceremony. If you wish to participate in commencement, the Commencement Attendance Approval Form (sent to student from GS in Graduation Packet) must be turned in and approved about two months before the commencement ceremony (about April 1/October 1; check dates in University Class Schedule <www.onestop.umn.edu/onestop/graduating.html>). The Commencement Attendance Approval Form must be signed by adviser and the DGS. The adviser’s signature indicates that the thesis draft has been completed and that student is ready for but may or may not have taken the final oral exam.

Attending the ceremony does not imply that you have officially graduated. A Commencement Handbook, containing information on academic costume, rehearsal, parking, etc., should be obtained from University Relations, 6 Morrill Hall or from the Information Booth in Smith Bookstore on the West Bank. Information is also available on the Web at <http://www1.umn.edu/twincities/commencement>.

In celebration of the accomplishments of our students, the Department of Educational Policy and Administration holds a reception a few hours before the commencement for our new graduates and their families and friends. E-mail invitations with details of the reception will be sent to the students participating in commencement and their advisers.

Graduation/Award of Degree
Graduate School degrees are awarded monthly. Graduate School students obtain the Application for Degree form and detailed graduation instructions from 316 Johnston Hall or online at <www.grad.umn.edu/current_students/forms/grad_packet/>. All Graduate School requirements must be completed by the last working day of the intended month of graduation. To graduate at the end of any given month students must:

• Submit their Graduate School Application for Degree form to the Student Service Center in 200 Fraser on or before the first workday of the month.
• Complete all other requirements by the last workday of the month.

Graduating before the end of the term may affect eligibility for student loans, housing, etc. Check with the appropriate office if you have questions on eligibility. The diploma will be mailed three to four months after graduation.

The department requests that new graduates complete the New Graduate Survey form found on the Department Web site under “Student Resources.” New graduate feedback helps us to improve the program, so we greatly appreciate your input.