Degree Requirements

Critical forms and notifications are in bold.

A full list of Duke Graduate School forms, regulations, and general information can be found at: http://gradschool.duke.edu/academics/academic-policies

Required Forms

Program of Study
Committee Formation

Preliminary Exam
Apply to Graduate

Timeline

Entering students

  • Meet with the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS) and your advisor before registration.
  • Attend the Responsible Conduct in Research (RCR) training during Orientation.
  • If you are considering or planning to transfer into UPE, discuss with your advisor, DGS, and respective DGSAs.

First semester

  • Meet with major professor before registration for spring semester.
  • International students whose native language is not English must pass the English placement exams during orientation. Most students enroll in EIS courses as a result of placement exams in the first year.
  • Required fall semester Ecology Class (semester 1 of 2)
  • Complete your Individualized Development Plan (IDP) with your advisor (required each fall).

Second semester

  • Begin to identify potential faculty members for your PhD committee. Consult with advisor.
  • Meet with advisor before the end of the semester for progress review and for request of continuation of financial aid.
  • Complete annual report following instructions emailed to you by the DGSA (each spring).

Third semester

  • Required fall semester Ecology Class (semester 2 of 2)
  • By now you will have identified your Ph.D. Committee, with at least 3 from the Duke Ecology Program.
    • Hold a certification meeting for a proposed program of study with your committee before registration for spring term. The report of the certification meeting to your committee should include a plan for your major and minor courses and a proposed dissertation topic. As a program requirement, you have to fill out this form, have your committee sign it, and then turn it in to the DGSA.
    • To officially form your committee, fill out this form. To fill out this form, enter the date, your name, the department name (Ecology) and the list of committee members. You must put one of the committee member names on the last line directly above “minor area representative.” E-mail this document as an attachment to psat@nicholas.duke.edu.
Complete your Individualized Development Plan (IDP) with your advisor.

Fourth semester

  • Meet with your PhD committee before the end of the semester for progress review (and for request of continuation of financial aid, if appropriate).
  • Complete annual report following instructions emailed to you by the DGSA.
  • If transferring to UPE, confirm that all paperwork is complete and filed with your advisor and the DGS as well as DGSA of both programs. You must have transferred prior to your preliminary exam.

Fifth semester

  • Take oral preliminary exam (normal time).
  • Formal notice in writing must be sent to the DGSA 45 days prior to the exam. Confirm with DGSA that your committee is approved. If any changes are neccesary please notify the DGSA as soon as possible, but no later than 45 days before the exam. This list should include a list of your committee members who will be in attendance, their email addresses, and the time and location of your exam. The time and location can be approximate with this first notification.
  • Email the DGSA Prior to your exam to confirm that they will send this form to your advisor to be signed by the committee chair (likely your advisor) at your preliminary exam.
  • The DGSA will email the committee chair a link to the UPE SACS rubric with instructions to forward to committee members for completion. Committee members will complete it following your preliminary exam.
  • Exams must occur while a term for which you are registered is in session unless prior approval has been granted by the Associate Dean of the Graduate School.
  • Your committee needs to be approved by the Graduate School at least 30 days prior to the exam; see 3rd semester for this procedure and form.
  • If a committee member needs to participate remotely, the graduate school has approved both remote and in-person participation, so no approval is needed. There is no limit to the number of remote participants, but they must attend synchronously.
  • Complete your Individualized Development Plan (IDP) with your advisor.

Sixth semester

  • Oral preliminary exam must be completed. If it is not, a request for extension must be sent to the Graduate School by the DGS and student advisor.
  • Normally, this is the last semester of coursework. Be sure that minor area proficiency and departmental (or committee) course requirements have been met.
  • Complete annual report following instructions emailed to you by the DGSA.

Seventh semester

  • Ensure that all TA requirements are fulfilled. TA requirements include conducting teaching services for one semester as a TA assigned to a course.
  • Complete your Individualized Development Plan (IDP) with your advisor.

Eighth semester

  • Complete annual report following instructions emailed to you by the DGSA.

Ninth semester

  • Complete your Individualized Development Plan (IDP) with your advisor.

Tenth semester

  • Normally all PhD students should be finished by the end of this semester.
  • Set up your dissertation defense.
    • You must apply to graduate in Duke Hub during the semester that you plan to graduate. This must be done early in the semester. Instructions and deadlines here: https://gradschool.duke.edu/academics/milestone-and-graduation-information-and-deadlines/
    • At least 45 days before your defense, confirm by emailing gradacademics@duke.edu (cc the DGSA) that there are no changes to your committee from your prelim, OR work with your DGSA to resubmit your committee form.
    • Your advisor must email gradacademics@duke.edu stating that they have read your dissertation and that it is complete and ready for defense.
    • Your DGSA will have you fill out and return to them the Graduate School’s defense announcement form. You should fill out the form The DGSA will submit this to the Graduate School.
    • At least two weeks before your defense, “submit your complete, correctly formatted dissertation/thesis to ProQuest (initial submission). Also provide it to each member of your committee” (~The Graduate School).
    • A few days before your defense the Graduate School will send your final exam certificate to your chair and your DGSA.
    • The defense must occur while in a term for which you are registered in unless prior approval has been granted by the Associate Dean of the Graduate School.
    • If a committee member needs to participate remotely, the graduate school has approved both remote and in-person participation, so no approval is needed. There is no limit to the number of remote participants, but they must attend synchronously.
    • Please review this web-resource for formatting your dissertation document; all instructions and steps are outlined here: http://gradschool.duke.edu/academics/theses-and-dissertations

Permanent link to this article: https://ecology.duke.edu/degree-requirements/