Finishing Your MS (THESIS)
Degree
Unofficial information for graduate
students in the CEE department at
Virginia Tech
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Major Requirements: THESIS
• You must have an approved Plan of Study
• You must be registered for classes (research, class, or
DSS) in the semester you take your final
• You must apply for your degree (AFD)
• You must apply to be admitted to the final (ONLINE
final exam request form)
• Following your final exam, you must make your final
corrections to your thesis and have your Chairman
approve the final version in the ONLINE exam system.
Once that approval is completed, you will upload your
ETD in the same system you scheduled your final
exam
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GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS AND
COMMENCEMENT DEADLINES
• DEADLINES—
http://graduateschool.vt.edu/Commencement
-Deadlines
• Help is available—Jeny Beausoliel
jeny15@vt.edu; (703) 538-8431
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Registration – Two Kinds
•
•
•
•
Regular – register for class online for three or more hours OR
Special – also called Defending Student Status (DSS)
You do NOT register online for DSS
Go to HOKIESPA and find AFD in the degree menu section. Choose
the correct semester
• Pay the $25.00 fee which is good for one year. If you do not finish
your degree in the semester you originally applied, return to
HOKIESPA and update the AFD for the correct semester
• The deadlines for AFD are associated with your name appearing in
the commencement bulletin. It can only appear in one semester’s
bulletin
• DSS is more flexible during a summer semester
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DSS Registration, cont.
• International students may defend within the first
15 days of the semester OR any time during the
semester using DSS, IF your principal activity is other
than being an F-1/J-1 student enrolled full-time in
pursuit of a degree (i.e., already on OPT or Academic
Training). For more information, go to
http://graduateschool.vt.edu/igss/academic_issues/ind
ex.html .
• International students should check with Ruth
Athanson or Zelma Harris in the Immigration Office
(540) 231-8486 about DSS registration.
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Request for Final Exam
• Complete the ONLINE form “Request to Admit Candidate to the
Final Examination” https://gradexam.stl.vt.edu/pages/login.php.
Your Committee will need to sign electronically
• You MUST complete the ONLINE exam form TWO WEEKS before
your final. Plan extra time for your committee to sign. Use this
form for EITHER type of registration
• SCHEDULE a room ahead of time with Jeny Beausoliel
jeny15@vt.edu.
• The final exam form generates an email officially scheduling your
final exam. Your final exam card should be signed by your
committee ONLINE immediately after your exam.
• Check your Graduate Student Requirement Checklist located in
HokieSPA
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Electronic Thesis
• The ETD must be submitted through the ONLINE final exam
scheduling system within TWO WEEKS following the final exam
• Step ONE: Student completes final version of the thesis and gains
approval from the Chairman and the Committee
• Step TWO: The Chairman returns to the ONLINE final exam
scheduling system and approves the ETD for submission
• STEP THREE: The student returns to the ONLINE final exam
scheduling system and uploads the ETD
• STEP FOUR: The other committee members return to the ONLINE
final exam scheduling system and approve the final version of the
Thesis
• The Graduate School then completes the final approval of the
Thesis and awards the degree. NOTE: The Graduate School will
contact the student if format corrections are needed
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Summary
• HAVE an approved Plan of Study
• Decide on registration for class—regular or special—and
REGISTER
• Apply ONLINE for your degree
• Request a final exam ONLINE
• Defend and confirm with your advisor that you have
completed all degree requirements
• Submit your electronic thesis ONLINE and confirm that the
faculty confirmed the submission ONLINE. Check your VT
email account to see if changes need to be made to the
ETD. Respond accordingly
• Check your Graduate Student Requirement Checklist on
your HokieSPA account
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Glossary
• AFD – application for degree
• DSS – defending student status
• ETD – electronic thesis and dissertation web
site
• Final Form – Request Candidate to the Final
Exam form
• Final Exam – any final work such as an oral
exam, project presentation, or a thesis
defense
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