2005-06 - Office of the Registrar - Duke University

degree, the student must file online a declaration of intention to receive degree. This form
should indicate the approved title of the dissertation and be approved by both the director
of graduate studies of the student’s major department and the professor who directs the
dissertation. The online address is: http://www.gradschool.duke.edu/intent/degreere.htm.
The basic requirements for preparing the dissertation (type of paper, form, and
binding) are prescribed in the Guide for the Preparation of Theses and Dissertations,
copies of which are available in the Graduate School office and on the Graduate School
Web site.
The dissertation must be completed to the satisfaction of the professor who directs the
dissertation, members of the student’s advisory committee, and the dean of the Graduate
School. A copy of the dissertation must be submitted to the dean of the Graduate School
on or before April 1 preceding the May commencement, ten days before the end of the
Duke summer session for a September degree, or ten days before the end of the fall
semester for a December degree. The dissertation must be submitted to the Graduate
School office at least seven days before the scheduled date of the student’s examination.
All doctoral dissertations are published on microfilm through University Microfilms,
Ann Arbor, Michigan. Authors may copyright them if they wish. Abstracts are published
in Dissertation Abstracts International.
One extra copy of the abstract (not more than 350 words long) with signature page is
submitted when the dissertation is presented at 013 Perkins (Photographic Services). A
nonrefundable fee of $55 is charged for microfilming. If copyright is desired, an additional
fee of $45 is charged. The original and two copies will be bound at a cost of $25.
Final Examination. The final examination is administered by at least four members of
the supervising committee, who must have at least two weeks to read and review the
completed dissertation before the final examination. The final oral examination shall be
primarily on the dissertation; however, questions may be asked in the candidate’s major
field. Except in unusual circumstances approved by the dean, a final examination will not
be scheduled when the university is not in session. A student must be registered during the
term that he/she takes the final examination.
Successful completion of the final examination requires at least three affirmative
votes and no more than one negative vote. The sole exception to this policy is that a
negative vote cast by the chair of the examining committee will mean a failure on the
examination. A student who fails the final examination may be allowed to take it a second
time, but no earlier than six months from the date of the first examination. Permission to
take the second examination must be obtained from the professor who directed the
dissertation and from the dean of the Graduate School. Failure to pass the second
examination renders the student ineligible to continue work for the Ph.D. degree at Duke
University.
Deposit of the Dissertation. After passing the examination, candidates return the
original and the first two copies of the dissertation, properly signed to 013 Perkins Library.
At this time they sign the microfilming agreement and present proof of payment of binding,
microfilming, and, if applicable, copyright fees. A student must be registered during the term
that he or she submits the dissertation to the library.
Commencement
Graduation exercises are held once a year, in May, when degrees are conferred on and
diplomas are issued to those students who have completed requirements by the end of the
spring. The May commencement also includes a hooding ceremony. Those who complete
degree requirements by the end of the fall or by the end of a summer term receive diplomas
dated December 30 or September 1, respectively. There is a delay in the mailing of
September and December diplomas because diplomas cannot be issued until they are
approved by the Academic Council and the Board of Trustees.
Standards of Conduct
58 Regulations