CUA
SCHOOL OF THEOLOGY AND RELIGIOUS STUDIES
Check List for Defending Doctoral Students
Defense
____ Register for Dissertation Guidance and Defense during the defense semester
____ Sign-off and Defense Date Scheduling
Deadline Dates
____ 5 bound copies of doctoral manuscript
____ Defense leaflet material
____ Approval page
University Forms
____ University Microfilms International (UMI) Doctoral Dissertation Publication Agreement” form and
subsequent attachments
____ “Permission to Publish Doctoral Dissertation and Abstract Approval”
____ “Survey of Earned Doctorates” form from the National Research Council
Deposit
___ Appointment for deposit of manuscript
____ One unbound copy of completed, revised, corrected manuscript on acid-free paper
____ One unbound copy of completed manuscript on standard paper
____ Deposit fee
Graduation
____ Apply for Graduation on line through Cardinal Station, https://cardinalstation.cua.edu
____ Order graduation cap and gown / announcements if wanted through www.herffjones.com
____ Commencement information
____ Current address/phone throughout process:
 School of Theology and Religious Studies Dean’s Office
 The Cardinal Student System
Grace-Ann Lewis
The Catholic University of America  620 Michigan Avenue, NE  Washington, DC 20064
School of Theology and Religious Studies  106 Caldwell Hall
202-319-5482  fax: 202-319-5704 
(Forms: Check List Doc  Updated: Fall-2005  This copy printed: February 5, 2016 )
Dissertation Defense
Registration
Ph.D. and STD students should be registered for “Doctoral Dissertation Guidance and Defense” (TRS 997) and
D.Min. students should be registered for “D.Min. Project Guidance and Consultation” (TRS 995) during the defense
semester. This registration is mandatory during the semesters you are writing dissertations and getting them
reviewed.
During the semester that students defend and are getting their dissertation reviewed, they must register for TRS 997
and also ORAL 998 (Dissertation Defense—With Classes). During the semester that students are defending only,
they must register for ORAL 999 (Dissertation Defense—No Classes). Students should register via
http://cardinalstudents.cua.edu.
The normal registration status for doctoral students who are in the process of writing their dissertation under the
active direction of their advisor is dissertation guidance (three credits). Doctoral students who have received
permission to register in absentia are allowed only minimal contact with their advisor. Advisors and readers may not
read or correct the work of doctoral students who are registered in absentia.
Doctoral students must be registered for three credits of Guidance
(a) the semester in which they present their dissertation proposal to the faculty,
(b) the semester in which they defend their dissertation,
(c) and any semester in which their director and/or readers are reviewing their material.
Sign-Off and Defense Date Scheduling
When the director and readers of the Dissertation or Project in Ministry judge that the work is satisfactory, the
Director will provide The Assistant Director of Graduate Studies with names of the faculty who will be on the Oral
Examination Board. The Oral Examination Board is composed of the Dissertation Committee (the Major Professor
and Readers) and a Chair and Secretary selected from outside the School of Theology and Religious Studies by the
Major Professor. The Chair of the board must be an Ordinary Professor and the secretary must be at least an Associate
Professor. As specified by the STRS Dean, serving on a doctoral oral examination board takes precedence over
class. If the candidate wishes to have guests present at the defense, permission must first be granted by the Dean.
Deadline Dates
The student should always be aware of University deadline dates during the semester in which the student hopes to
defend. In order to qualify for a May graduation, the student must meet four deadlines. Actual dates can be found on
the World Wide Web at http://www.cua.edu/admin/regr, in the current semester’s Class Schedule book, by
contacting one’s director, or by contacting the STRS secretary to the faculty. In general, the following are deadlines
to be met:
Early February: Submit completed dissertation/project to committee
Mid March:
Schedule doctoral oral examination (defense or project consultation)
Mid April:
Last date to hold oral examination
Late April:
Deposit approved dissertation / project in ministry
In addition to these dates, students must schedule an appointment to deposit the manuscript in the Office of the Vice
Provost and Dean of Graduate Studies; 116 McMahon Hall, 202-319-5247. Because of the volume of demand on
that office in March and April, students are urged to call for an appointment in a timely manner.
Five Manuscript Copies
A bound typewritten copy of the manuscript must be submitted to each member of the committee (one for the
director, one to each reader, and one each to the chairperson and secretary of the oral defense). This should be done
at least 2 weeks prior to the defense date.
Defense Leaflet Material
In addition to the five copies of the dissertation/project report, the student is asked to submit typed information for
the defense leaflet to the dissertation director. Page 1 of the leaflet will be prepared by The Assistant Director of
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Graduate Studies. Page 2 consists of a list of courses taken by the student pertaining to the doctoral degree. Page 3
consists of the dissertation title and an abstract. Page 4 consists of a personal biography. Please submit this
information to The Assistant Director of Graduate Studies about 1 week before the defense.
Approval Page
Upon successful completion of the oral defense, the Approval Page is signed by the director and the readers
confirming a satisfactory defense of the written work. It is helpful to have the Approval Page (on archive quality
paper) at the defense to obtain signatures. Students are to prepare their own Approval Page as illustrated on pg. 13 of
the Doctoral Dissertation Handbook 2004 (where it is referred to as Sample Dissertation Signature Page.)
Deposit Materials
Early in the semester in which you plan to graduate, the student should obtain the following forms, which are
included in the dissertation packet, from the Office of the Vice Provost and Dean of Graduate Studies; 116
McMahon Hall, 202-319-5247. [Refer to the Doctoral Dissertation Handbook, page 15, for the complete list of
Deposit Documentation.]
1.
“Publishing Your Dissertation: How to Prepare your Manuscript for Publication” instruction booklet with
the “UMI Doctoral Dissertation Publishing Agreement” form inside. (This is the legal contract between the
student and the University Microfilms, including copyright registration).
2.
“Permission to Publish Doctoral Dissertation and Abstract Approval” form. (This is to be signed by the
project director and Dean of the School of Theology and Religious Studies after oral consultation).
3.
“Survey of Earned Doctorates” booklet from the National Research Council (This is used for research and
statistical purposes. Information is kept confidential.)
Deposit
Manuscript, Forms, and Fees
After the successful completion of the final oral examination, the final manuscript must incorporate all mandatory
emendations and be presented to the Office of the Vice Provost and Dean of Graduate Studies together with the fee
to cover the cost of binding the archival copy, publication and microfilming. To do this, the student should make an
appointment with the Coordinator of Graduate Student Services by calling 202-319-5247. In preparing one’s
manuscript for deposit, the student must follow all guidelines in the CUA Doctoral Dissertation Handbook.
Change in Doctoral Dissertation Title
Before submitting the final copy of the manuscript to the Office of the Vice Provost and Dean of Graduate Studies,
the student should check to see if there have been any changes to the title (even the smallest word, from of to for, for
example). If there has been a change, the student must submit a “Request for Change in Doctoral Dissertation Title”
form available online at http://graduatestudies.cua.edu. Please see the Doctoral Dissertation Handbook, distributed
by the Vice Provost and Dean of Graduate Studies office for further information on formatting and depositing the
dissertation.
Graduation
Diploma aplication and Commencement Book Information
All students intending to graduate in May should apply online through Cardinal Station at
https://cardinalstation.cua.edu.
In addition, graduating students should give the following information to The Assistant Director of Graduate Studies
in early April: 1) your title, 2) your name as you want it to appear in the University commencement book,
including initials if you want them, 3) the correct title of your dissertation/project in ministry, and 4) the letters
(such as B.A., M.Div.) of all your former degrees in the chronological order that they were awarded (dates are not
necessary).
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Conferral of Degree
Recommendations for degrees are made to the Academic Senate in October, January and May of each year.
Therefore, students may graduate in October, January, or May of each year, but commencement ceremonies are held
in May only. If an October graduate does not receive a diploma by late November or a January graduate does not
receive the diploma by late March, the student can contact the Office of the Registrar at 202-319-5300 and inquire
about it.
Commencement
To participate in commencement ceremonies, academic attire (a cap and gown) is required. Students may order
these from www.herffjones.com/college/graduation. Representatives are on campus at the bookstore the last week
of February to take orders. February is also a good time for those at a distance to request the order form. The hoods
accompanying the academic gown are all lined with CUA's colors of white and gold. In addition, the hoods of
doctoral students are trimmed with a color associated with the academic field of specialization. Theology Ph.D.,
D.Min., and Pontifical STD degree students should order hoods with scarlet trim.
The Office of the Registrar sends out information regarding graduation: gown rental, processional times and places
for Baccalaureate Mass and Commencement, rain information, etc. If you do not receive this information by April
15th, you should call the Registrar's Office and request a "Commencement Information" flyer. Call 202-319-5308.
There is a Baccalaureate Mass celebrated on Friday afternoon at 4:00 p.m. before Saturday graduation exercises.
Everyone is welcome.
Saturday graduation consists of Commencement Exercises on the lawn near the Basilica Shrine of the Immaculate
Conception Church. (Assemble at 9:00 a.m., procession begins at 9:30, commencement ceremonies begin at 10:00).
Diplomas from each school are awarded in or near the student’s school. Diplomas for The School of Theology and
Religious Studies students are conferred in Caldwell Hall immediately after University commencement ceremonies.
Graduating students should check in at the lobby, guests can proceed into the auditorium and be seated. A reception
for SRS graduates, family and friends follows the awarding of diplomas. There is no limit to the number of invited
guests and no reservations are required for any of the graduation activities.
Transcripts
At any time, a student may request transcripts to be sent to locations designated by the student. There is no limit on or
charge for this lifetime service. Contact the Registrar’s Office at 202-319-5300 for this service.
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