Thesis Option | Graduate School | Michigan Technological University

The table below shows a detailed timeline of items that you need to complete in order to obtain a degree and prepare for arrival on campus. Click on the buttons for more information.

You can check the Current Students area of MyMichiganTech for a detailed checklist of items that are required for you at this time, and see a list of items that are complete or pending for each degree you are pursuing. See the Graduate School's online tutorial for help with MyMichiganTech.

The Forms Don't Work. What Should I Do?

All Graduate School forms may be completed in newer versions of Adobe Acrobat or Adobe Reader (v9 or higher). If you are experiencing problems try:

Switching to a different browser. Currently, Internet Explorer is recommended.
- There are known incompatibility issues with Firefox v19, Chrome, Preview (the PDF reader on a macintosh) and Linux machines.
- Students who click on a form link and receive the message, "Please wait.... If this message is not eventually replaced by the proper contents of your document..." have an incompatible browser or plug-in.
Saving the file to your hard drive and open with the newest version of Acrobat Reader rather than clicking on the link and opening in your browser.
1. Right-click or option-click the hyperlink
2. Save the form on your hard drive.
3. Open the file directly from Adobe Acrobat or Adobe Reader.
Reconfiguring your browser to open PDF files using a compatible plug-in. Firefox users may reconfigure their browsers using the instructions below:
1. Select Tools...Options from the menu bar
2. Select the "Applications" tab in the pop up window
3. Search for and select "Portable Document Format (PDF)" in the Content Type list
4. Select "Use Adobe Acrobat (in Firefox)" as the Action
5. Press "OK"

TDR-Review is provided as a sample for your information and does not allow data entry, since the Graduate School completes and returns this form for you.

When	What	Click for details	Click for an explanation
Before you arrive on campus	Arrange for housing (not applicable for online students)	Details Multiple options are available on and off campus.	Why? Look for housing early to ensure the best selection and to obtain housing that meets your needs.
	Consult with graduate program director and/or advisor for proper course selection	Details If you have not already been assigned an advisor, your graduate program director serves as your temporary advisor, and can advise you on courses that will meet your needs and degree requirements.	Why? Some courses have restricted enrollment, or are only offered in certain years. Consulting early with your graduate program director will ensure you make the most of your education at Michigan Tech.
	Submit your arrival information on MyMichiganTech to notify International Programs and Services (IPS) of your travel plans (International students only)	Details The IPS Office will arrange for airport pick- up for all new international students only if you complete and send the Itinerary Form. Please see important dates for this service Submit your itinerary online on your MyMichiganTech account three (3) weeks before the required arrival date. Please include flight number, arrival date and time (at CMX), number of dependents arriving with you, date of scheduled visa interview or date visa received.	Why? Submitting your information will help IPS plan for your arrival and provide you information about the transportation and pick up services they offer.
	Upload your photo for your HuskyCard (optional)	Details Submit a picture to MyMichiganTech Approval will take several days, so plan ahead Photos are reviewed for clarity and appropriateness	Why? If you'd like a favorite picture of you to be on your ID, this will allow you to customize your ID. You are not required to upload a photo.
When you arrive on campus	Obtain a HuskyCard	Details Go to the Technical Assistance Center (TAC) located at the front of the J. Robert Van Pelt & Opie Library Bring a government photo ID to confirm your identity If you uploaded a picture, your ID will be printed If you did not upload a picture, a photo will be taken at this time Note that if you arrive on campus before the start of the semester, you may not have access to certain buildings until the semester begins	Why? Your HuskyCard gives you access to on campus resources, such as the SDC, Library, and residence halls It is also used as your meal card if you have a meal plan in the residence halls, or you can load Express Cash, Big Dog Bucks, or Top Dog meals onto it via their web site
	Report to International Programs and Services (international students only)	Details Please refer to Important Dates and Events for New International Students Bring: I-20 or DS 2019, passport, visa and I-94, transcript, IELTS or TOEFL score not previously submitted.	Why? All F-1 & J-1 visa students are required to report to IPS so that we can activate your record in the SEVIS system.
	Complete Basic Responsible Conduct of Research Training	Details Attend orientation or complete an online training course	Why? Michigan Tech requires all students to complete this training Consult MyMichiganTech for your current training status
	Submit official proof of previous degrees earned	Details Submit official proof of degrees earned to the Graduate School Copies, scans, emails, and provisional certificates are not acceptable.	Why? In order to earn a graduate degree at Michigan Tech, all students must provide proof of a bachelor's degree or its equivalent.
	Submit Patent, research, and proprietary rights agreement form on MyMichiganTech	Details Log in to MyMichiganTech Find the link to view the agreement on your Student Checklist or Degree Completion Timeline Read the agreement, and click "Agree" to complete it Your status will be updated immediately and can be viewed on your checklist or timeline. A hold (if present) will be released within 15 minutes. Contact the Graduate School if a prior agreement with a third party prevents you from signing this agreement	Why? This form defines the rights you and the University have with respect to proprietary work you develop while a student at Michigan Tech. If you do not complete this agreement in the first semester of your enrollment, you will have a hold placed on your account and you will be unable to register for future semesters.
Every year	Provide proof of health insurance or pay for University policy (on campus students only)	Details Submit the Health insurance comparability waiver form to the Student Health Insurance Office or sign up for a policy on Banweb	Why? All enrolled graduate students, with the exception of off campus students, must have health insurance. You may select a policy from the University or submit proof of an equivalent policy. More information is available on the Student Health Insurance site.
	Obtain a parking permit for any vehicle you desire to park on MTU property	Details You will receive an email notifying you when parking permits are available for purchase Go to https://mtuparking.t2hosted.com/cmn/index.aspx to register Log in with your MTU ISO password, do not include @mtu.edu Graduate commuters can purchase a graduate commuter permit on this site; select "purchase permits," or you may come to the Transportation Service office Resident graduate students should select add/edit waitlists as directed by the link. Find more information about vehicle registrations and parking permits online When on campus, bring a picture ID and current vehicle registration to the Transportation Services office to obtain your parking permit or a temporary visitor permit for all vehicles on campus.	Why? All persons who own and/or use motor vehicles on campus, including any type of motor-driven cycles, must register them online or at the Transportation Services office.
Every fall and spring semester until your degree is complete	Register for courses	Details See MyMichiganTech for your time to register and links to registration Consult with your graduate program director and/or advisor for advice on proper course selection Full time enrollment (9 credits) is required for supported (GTA, GRA, etc.) and international students. Students not required to be full time may enroll in a minimum of one credit.	Why? Every graduate student must maintain continuous enrollment by registering every fall and spring semester Registration in the summer is only required by the Graduate School if you are supported, plan to complete your degree, or defend
	Pay your bill	Details See MyMichiganTech for your balance due and links to web payment.	Why? Your bill must be paid in full by the Wednesday before classes start to avoid late fees. Payment is required by the Wednesday of first week, or the Registrar's Office will drop your course schedule.
	Confirm your enrollment	Details See MyMichiganTech for links to confirm your enrollment.	Why? Even if you have a zero balance due, all graduate students need to confirm their enrollment by Wednesday of the first week or the Registrar's Office will drop your course schedule.
Every summer session you are a supported student, plan to complete your degree, or defend	Register for courses	Details See MyMichiganTech for your time to register and links to registration Consult with your graduate program director and/or advisor for advice on proper course selection Full time enrollment (1 credit in summer) is required for students who are supported (GTA, GRA, etc.), defending, or completing a degree	Why? Registration in the summer is only required by the Graduate School if you are a supported student, plan to complete your degree, or defend.
	Pay your bill	Details See MyMichiganTech for your balance due and links to web payment.	Why? Your bill must be paid in full by the Wednesday before classes start to avoid late fees. Payment is required by the Wednesday of first week, or the Registrar's Office will drop your course schedule.
	Confirm your enrollment	Details See MyMichiganTech for links to confirm your enrollment.	Why? Even if you have a zero balance due, all graduate students need to confirm their enrollment by Wednesday of the first week or the Registrar's Office will drop your course schedule.
First semester	Complete Sexual Assault Prevention course	Details You are required to take the course if you started a graduate degree in summer 2015 or later. Check your degree completion timeline on MyMichiganTech to determine if you are required to complete the course. Click on the link in the email invitation to complete the course or visit course page. Complete the online course. Your completion will be automatically recorded in University records. If the course is not completed by the deadline, a registration hold will be placed on your account. If a hold was placed on your account, it will be released within five business days after completing the course. Contact titleix@mtu.edu with any questions.	Why? All incoming Michigan Tech graduate students are required to complete a Sexual Assault Prevention course. This online course prepares graduate students for a few of the unique challenges and responsibilities of graduate student life. It focuses on developing healthy relationships and addresses some of the unfortunate interconnected issues of substance abuse and sexual violence. Please contact titleix@mtu.edu with any questions.
Second semester	Select advisor by submitting the Advisor and committee recommendation form	Details Fill out the Advisor and committee recommendation form Ensure your advisor is a member of the graduate faculty with a regular or adjunct appointment in your academic home Obtain the required signatures Submit it to the Graduate School	Why? An advisor is needed to assist you to progress toward your degree. The Graduate School uses this form to identify which faculty member is working with you. Although the form will ask if you want to appoint a committee, this is not required at this time. You will need a committee established no later than two weeks before your defense.
Second or third academic semester	Complete Advanced Responsible Conduct of Research Training	Details Complete one of the approved courses Summer does not count as an academic semester, although training can be completed in the summer These courses may be graded and for a single credit in the summer which satisfies any need for full time enrollment	Why? Michigan Tech requires all students who started spring 2013 or later to complete this training Consult MyMichiganTech for your current training status.
Semester before planned degree completion OR semester before you want to enter candidacy	Submit Degree schedule to Graduate School	Details Fill in the Degree schedule Obtain signatures Submit to Graduate School	Why? The Graduate School will review your courses and ensure that they meet the requirements for your degree.
Due one week before semester student wishes to enter candidacy	Submit Petition to enter candidacy (optional)	Details If you decide to enter candidacy: Fill in the Petition to enter candidacy	Why? Once you have completed 30 credits and all of your required coursework, you can enter candidacy. This will allow you to pay a reduced tuition rate for research credits. See our web page for more information about this policy.
Semester of planned degree completion	Submit Commencement application form if you wish to participate in commencement (fall/spring semester only)	Details Fill in the Commencement application form Obtain signatures Return to Graduate School by the deadline for the current semester	Why? Michigan Tech offers commencement ceremonies after the fall and spring semesters. The ceremony celebrates your accomplishments, and is open for your family and friends to attend. If you wish to participate, you must submit this form by the deadline for the given semester.
	Submit Degree completion form to Graduate School	Details Fill in and save the form Print Form Submit to Graduate School Check MyMichiganTech for your current status	Why? This form lets the Graduate School know you intend to complete your degree this semester. If you have any missing paperwork, we can let you know at this time. The form will also let us know how you wish to have your name printed on your diploma, your future career plans, and if you intend to participate in commencement.
	Pick up diploma folder	Details If you are not attending the upcoming graduation ceremony, or have not yet participated in a graduation ceremony, the Graduate School will provide a diploma cover to you.	Why? If you have not already received a diploma folder, or will not be attending a ceremony, we will provide a diploma folder so you will have a safe place to store that important document. When we are able to give this to you, it saves the University the expense of mailing it to you.
	Pick up Graduate School pin	Details Every Graduate School alumni receives a pin as gift from the Graduate School.	Why? We would like the opportunity to congratulate you on your success and give you this small token of our best wishes to you. When we are able to give this to you, it saves the University the expense of mailing it to you.
When you leave campus or complete a degree	Submit the Graduate student workspace cleanout form on MyMichiganTech	Details Download the form Complete the form with oversight from your advisor and department Upload to MyMichiganTech See your Student Checklist or Degree completion timeline for the submission link	Why? University policy requires that all faculty, staff, and students clean their workspace prior to leaving campus or completing a degree program.
Four weeks before your defense	Plan for your defense - Work with your committee to find a date and time that works for everyone then work with your department to schedule a room for your defense	Details By this stage your defense draft should be almost complete with only minor edits needed prior to it going to your committee Ensure that at least three committee members, including your advisor, are members of the graduate faculty Ensure that you have necessary documentation to reprint copyrighted material in your thesis Schedule a room and any necessary technology for the defense Find out in what form (paper, PDF, Word, etc.) each committee member would like to receive a copy of your thesis Consult with your advisor to determine the appropriate length and format for your presentation Schedule some time to practice giving your presentation and answering questions	Why? You will need this information for the Pre-defense form that will be submitted two weeks prior to your defense. Planning early for your defense will help ensure you are on track to complete your degree.
Two weeks before your defense	Schedule your defense by submitting the Pre-defense form	Details Fill in the Pre-defense form Obtain the required signatures Submit to the Graduate School	Why? A public defense is required for all students, and this form will allow us to publicize your defense to the campus community on our web page.
	Submit complete defense draft of your thesis to the Graduate School	Details Upload document to the Pre-defense Thesis Submission module on the Graduate Candidates course in Canvas Need help? See our online tutorial. Your review will be uploaded to Canvas within two weeks Check MyMichiganTech for your current status	Why? The Graduate School will review your thesis and give you information about formatting changes that will be required in order to submit an acceptable document.
	Submit complete defense draft of your thesis to your advisor and committee	Details Ask your advisor and each committee member what form they would like to review your thesis (paper, PDF, Word, etc.) Deliver it to them two weeks before their defense Note that each committee member may request a different format	Why? Your advisor and committee will read your thesis before your final defense, and will use this to formulate questions about your research topic for your defense. At your defense, they may each ask you to make changes or corrections to parts of your thesis.
Day of defense	Publicly defend your thesis	Details Present your research topic to your audience Consult with your advisor in advance to determine the appropriate length and format for your presentation	Why? As a public University, Michigan Tech is required to share the results of our scholarship with the public. The defense will also give your committee the opportunity to examine the depth and breadth of your knowledge about your research topic.
	Bring copy of Report on final oral examination form to defense	Details Obtain signatures of advisor and committee Obtain signature of Graduate Program Director or Chair Ensure form is returned to Graduate School Your program may do this for you, or you may need to pick up the form from the program	Why? Your advisor and committee will use this form to report the final results of your defense.
Post-defense (see deadlines for upcoming semesters)	Make all required technical corrections from advisor and committee	Details Correct your document using the comments provided at or after your defense.	Why? Your advisor and committee want to ensure that your thesis is technically accurate and well written.
	Make all required formatting corrections from Graduate School	Details Correct your document using the comments provided by the Graduate School. These comments are found on Canvas with your pre-defense submission.	Why? The Graduate School's comments will ensure that your document is accepted by ProQuest, is professional in appearance, and can be printed now or in the future.
	Submit the Approval of a dissertation, thesis, or report form	Details Fill out form Obtain signatures (no substitutions allowed for listed individuals) Submit to Graduate School See deadlines for upcoming semesters	Why? This form indicates to the Graduate School that your technical corrections are complete, and your thesis is ready for formatting review by the Graduate School. It also defines the access (open or campus) and embargo options for your thesis. Your thesis must be completely submitted by the deadline for the semester in order to complete your degree in that semester.
Within one week of submitting the Approval of a dissertation, thesis, or report form and by the deadline for the semester you wish to complete your degree	Submit thesis to Digital Commons	Details Log into Digital Commons using your MTU ID and password Fill in the requested information and submit your document and supplemental materials (if applicable) See deadlines for upcoming semesters Your review will be uploaded to Canvas within two weeks Check MyMichiganTech for your current status	Why? Digital Commons is the Michigan Tech Institutional Repository. All dissertations, theses, and reports available in digital format are archived here for campus or open access as you have defined on your Approval Form. Submitting your thesis is one of the final requirements of your degree. Your thesis must be completely submitted by the deadline for the semester in order to complete your degree in that semester.
	Submit thesis to ProQuest	Details Create an account with ProQuest Upload your thesis See our tutorial for assistance Check MyMichiganTech for your current status	Why? ProQuest is the leading archiver of theses and dissertations, and submission to them will allow 3000 domestic and international research libraries, cultural organizations both domestic and international (museums, national public libraries, historical societies), governmental agencies (e.g. US Supreme Court, state and local governmental agencies, international (European Patent Office) access to your thesis.
After approval of thesis by Graduate School	Pay fees (if needed)	Details Visit MyMichiganTech for fee payment instructions. The Graduate School will email you when your fees are ready to be paid.	Why? All fees owed to the Graduate School are required to be paid before we can award your degree.
Your last semester	Complete Exit Survey	Details The Exit Survey is optional and anonymous. The inputs from this survey are very helpful in improving the experience for future graduate students and identifying areas in which we can improve the graduate student educational experience.	Why? Your feedback helps us to improve our programs and communications with students.
Within two weeks after the end of the semester	Watch your e-mail or MyMichiganTech for notification that your degree is awarded	Details Watch your e-mail or visit MyMichiganTech for confirmation that your degree requirements are complete.	Why? Degrees can only be awarded after grades are posted for the semester. Once grades are posted for the semester and your degree has been awarded, you can order official transcripts if you need official proof of earning your degree.
Two months after the end of the semester	Watch your e-mail for notification that your diploma is ready	Details Your diploma will be printed two months after the semester you complete your degree requirements. If you are still in the Houghton area, you may pick up your diploma after the Graduate School emails you. If you are not in the Houghton area, you will receive a final e-mail asking for updates to your mailing address that you provided with your Degree completion form	Why? We want to be sure you receive your diploma in a timely manner. Watching for our notifications will help us deliver it to you promptly.
One month after Degree is awarded	Check Digital Commons to see your published thesis	Details Go to Digital Commons Check the abstract, embargo, and publishing options Share your work if you'd like	Why? Check that everything is published as you specified. A permanent link to your submission can be used on your resume or social media sites to publicize your accomplishments.