Completion of Degrees
A. DEADLINES FOR DEGREES
Master’s candidates and doctoral candidates must fill out the candidacy forms (unless previously submitted) and have them signed by the Departmental Chairperson or Director of Graduate Studies. Return one copy, along with the degree form, to the Graduate School, 200 Bynum Hall-008A, Campus Box #4010. You must apply for the appropriate graduation no later than the deadlines listed.
For Graduation December 2009
| Friday, October 9, 2009 | Last day for Graduate Students to apply to graduate at eGraduation Central. |
| Saturday, October ?, 2009 | Written examinations for Master’s candidates for December graduation may not be taken after this date. |
| Monday, November 23, 2009 | Due date for submission of FINAL electronic doctoral dissertations and master’s theses before 4:00pm. Program note: all paperwork documenting completion of degree requirements should also be submitted by this date. |
| Sunday, December 20, 2009
|
Mid-Year Commencement for August and December graduates |
For Graduation May 2009
| Friday, February 13, 2009 | Last day for Graduate Students to apply to graduate at eGraduation Central. |
| Monday, April ?, 2009 | Written examinations should not be administered after this date. |
| Monday, April 13, 2009
Saturday, May 9, 2009 |
Due date for submission of FINAL electronic doctoral dissertations and master’s theses before 4:00pm. Program note: all paperwork documenting completion of degree requirements should also be submitted by this date. |
| Sunday, May 10, 2010 | Spring University Commencement Ceremony and Degree Award Date. For more information, see UNC Commencement. In the event of severe weather, tickets are required and may be picked up at the Union Box Office. |
Degree deadline dates vary from semester to semester. Students are responsible for being aware of, and adhering to, the specific dates affecting their study plan and examinations.
B. REGISTRATION DURING THE SEMESTER OF RECEIPT OF DEGREE / EXAMINATIONS AND RECEIPT OF DEGREES
Coursework for the M.A. must include a minimum of 3 hours of ANTH 993, Master’s Thesis, and for the Ph.D. 3 hours of ANTH 994, Doctoral Dissertation. A student may split up these 3 hours over more than one semester.
The Graduate School also requires that all graduate students be registered during the semester in which they take their M.A. thesis defense and oral comprehensive exams and their Ph.D. written and oral comprehensive examinations. Further, students must be registered during the semester in which they defend their Ph.D. dissertations and submit them to the Graduate School (if the defense and the submission occur in two different semesters, the student must be registered for at least one of those semesters).
The department requires that any student receiving an MA or a Ph.D. in a given semester submit a letter with the following information to the Director of Graduate Studies. You must submit this letter by the second Friday in June for August graduation, by the second Friday in October for December graduation, and by the second Friday in February for May graduation.
(1) Degree candidate’s first name, middle name or initial, last name
(2) Major
(3) Title of dissertation or project
(4) under the direction of (Name of doctoral advisor)
The Graduate School is no longer able to register students during a semester after the published deadline given in the University calendar. Examinations taken during a semester in which the student is not registered will not be accepted as valid by the Graduate School.
During the Fall and Spring semesters, the cheapest registration for in-state students is 3 hours of credit.
C. SCHEDULING EXAMINATIONS AND OTHER DEGREE COMMITTEE ACTIONS
As stated above in the explanation of degree requirements, departmental actions involving individual student degree committees can take place only while the University is in session during the Fall and Spring semesters. In other words, M.A. examinations, Ph.D. written and oral examinations, and Ph.D. final examinations (dissertation defenses) cannot be held during the holiday period between Fall and Spring semesters, during within-semester breaks, or during the summer, except with the prior, unanimous consent of the faculty. All such events are departmental matters, not simply the concern of individual student degree committees. Students should note that in the past requests for summer defenses have almost always been denied, even when supported by the members of the committee involved. Similarly, only dates on which the University is in session can be counted as elapsed time for the purpose of fulfilling the two week period specified in the regulations concerning announcements of M.A. examinations, Ph.D. written and oral examinations, and Ph.D. final examinations.
Students can expect a two to three week interval (depending on the length of the document) between submitting drafts of fourth semester papers, theses, Ph.D. Study Plans, and dissertations to their committee members and receiving them back with comments.
Students are also reminded that M.A. and Ph.D. defenses should be scheduled on the basis of substantially approved drafts; all committee members should have had ample time to comment on the earlier draft(s), and have been satisfied with changes made on the basis of their comments, prior to the defense. The chairperson of a student’s committee should ensure that all committee members receive a draft of the thesis/dissertation at least one month prior to the tentatively scheduled defense; the committee members, in turn, have an obligation to read the draft in a timely manner and to lodge any major objections well before the defense takes place. Defenses should not be scheduled on the basis of drafts that have not been fully reviewed by all members of the degree committee. Similarly second year students should provide their committee members with ample time to comment on drafts of their fourth semester papers prior to placing the final copies on file in the departmental office for evaluation by the faculty as a whole.