Appropriate progression through the doctoral program requires that students meet the Progression Deadlines outlined below.  If a student cannot meet a required deadline, they should submit a Request for Extension.

Note: failure to meet progression deadlines without approved extensions may negatively influence the ability to receive financial aid and can result in termination from the program.

Note:  Doctoral students are required to complete a Student Progression Report at the end of each semester after final grades have been assigned and before the beginning of the next semester of graduate study.  The form must be signed and dated by the student and the Dissertation Advisor and submitted to the Graduate Coordinator.

FIRST YEAR:

• Required courses, interdisciplinary colloquium and seminar
• Laboratory rotation(s)
• Select Dissertation Advisor (by end of 2^nd semester; notify Coordinator via email)

SECOND YEAR:

• Required courses, interdisciplinary colloquium and seminar, possible elective courses (determined by student's Dissertation Committee)
• Establish Dissertation Committee (by end of 3rd semester)
• Meet with Dissertation Committee (by end of year)
• Program of Study/Curriculum Contract approved by Dissertation Committee (must be completed by end of 3^rd semester and prior to taking Candidacy Exam)

Forms to be completed by end of second year:

1) Appointment of Doctoral Committee »(complete and submit to Graduate Coordinator)

2) Program of Study / Curriculum Contract form (complete and submit to Graduate Coordinator)

THIRD YEAR:

• Candidacy/qualifying examination.  The candidacy exam consists of a written protion (taken first), followed by an oral portion (taken only after passing the written portion).  The written and oral portions must be completed by the end of the 5th semester of study.  All coursework required for the degree, with the exception of Dissertation Research, must be completed before taking the Candidacy Exam.
• Submit and defend written Dissertation Research Proposal and have Dissertation Committee approve dissertation topic (by no later than the end of 6th semester, and preferably sooner).  The dissertation proposal defense occurs separately from the Candidacy Exam.
• Dissertation research
  Possible elective courses
  Meet with Dissertation Committee (at least once per year)
  Give a 20 min presentation on his/her research at the departmental weekly seminar
• Appy for Admission to Candidacy (see form #6 below).  Students must pass the Candidacy Exam and have a approved dissertation research topic before they can apply for candidacy. 

Forms to be completed by end of third year:

3) Qualifying Exam »(complete and submit to Graduate Coordinator)

4)  Signature sheet for Dissertation Proposal defense (complete, attach to dissertation research proposal and submit to Graduate Coordinator)

5) Petition for Topic Approval »(complete and submit to Graduate Coordinator)

FOURTH/FIFTH YEAR:

• Dissertation research
• Dissertation Oral Presentation and Defense

NOTE: The actual sequences and timing will vary some among students, especially those who enter the program with graduate transfer credits

Forms to be completed before graduation:

6) Application for Admission to Candidacy »

This form is due by the 8th instructional day of the semester in which you will graduate.

NOTES: i) this form will be valid for one semester only. If you need to change your graduation date, you will need to submit a new form.
ii) Your Dissertation Committee members do NOT need to sign this form

7) Application for Degree

This form is due by the 8th instructional day of the semester in which you will graduate; it must be completed on-line, as follows:

To access the “On-Line Graduation Application.”

1. Log-on to Banner Self Service Account
2. Click on “Student Services/Financial Aid/Student Accounts” option
3. Click on “Student Records” option
4. Click on “Online Graduation Application” option

NOTES:

i) if you change your graduation date, you will need to submit a new form, and repay the application fee.
ii) students still need to provide the Graduate School with paper copies of “Application for Candidacy for a Degree Program”. These forms will continue to be available from the “Graduate School Forms” page of the Graduate School Website.

8) Successful completion of Dissertation Defense (submit signed Dissertation Defense Report for Doctoral Candidates » to the Graduate Coordinator; submit signed Dissertation to the Graduate School)

9) Change of grade form
For some individualized instruction courses, such as BIOL8999, an “IP” grade is received up until the semester in which a student graduates. At the end of the semester in which a student graduates, those grades need to be changed.
On the form, enter the course for which an "IP" has been received. One form can used for each course - if enrolled in a given course in more than one semester, add each semester/section number to the form. Once completed, the form should be given to the program coordinator.

If you transferred from the Master's program into the PhD program without earning the Master's degree, please complete the following as soon as possible after starting the doctoral program:

• Meet with the Graduate Coordinator to discuss the 5000-6000 level courses you want transferred from the Master's program to the PhD program. 
• Submit to the Graduate Coordinator an Application for Transfer of Credit that lists the name and number for each course to be transferred.  If approved by the Graduate School, your transcripts will indicate that the course credits have been transferred from one program to another.  Course numbering will stay the same (i.e. a 6000-level course taken as a Master's student will transfer to the PhD program as a 6000-level course).  Thus:
• Submit to the Graduate Coordinator Special Requests to substitute the transferred 6000-level courses for equivalent 8000-level courses.  NOTE:  Research/Thesis credits cannot be transferred from the Master's to the PhD program.  Similarly, no Master's course graded as P/U/IP (i.e. BIOL 6800 Tutorial) can be transferred to the PhD.
• Submit to the Graduate Coordinator a Special Request to late withdraw from any “IP” research/thesis credit received while in the Master's program.  Because recorded grades of IP remain "open", you must formally terminate any IP credits received while a Master's student before you can graduate from the Doctoral program.

Other relevant forms

DEADLINES

Deadline to submit Application for Graduation and Application for Candidacy for:

Deadline for submission of Doctoral dissertation to the Graduate School for:

Dissertation Defense

Choosing a Dissertation defense date should be made in consultation with the Dissertation Committee. The final version of the Dissertation should be given to each Committee member and the Graduate Coordinator at least four weeks prior to the public defense. If all Committee members and the program coordinator agree to accept a copy with less time, the final version may be submitted up to at least two weeks prior to the public defense.  The Dissertation Defense Seminar must occur at least one week before the deadline set by the Graduate School for the submission of the approved dissertation (see Deadlines for Graduation below).  Students are strongly encouraged to schedule the dissertation defense well in advance of the stated deadline, to ensure sufficient time to incorporate revisions to the dissertation required by the Dissertation Committee. (Dissertation Defense Report for Doctoral Candidates » must be signed by all members of the Dissertation Committee and submitted to the Graduate Coordinator; approved Dissertations are submitted directly to the Graduate School).

FORMS AND OTHER GRADUATION INFORMATION
Click here for additional graduation information available from the UNC Charlotte Graduate School, including deadlines and who to contact if you want to change your graduation date. The following site contains a list of all Graduate School forms.