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PhD Checklist

One year before completion (Pure Mathematics students only) -

One semester before you plan to defend -

  • Contact the Assistant Director of Graduate Studies to check all degree requirements and confirm deadlines to file an Intent to Graduate and to submit your "approved and defended" thesis.
  • Review the details and deadlines for declaring your Intent to Graduate, then go to my.uic.edu to file your intent.
  • Review the thesis manual pdf for the Graduate College's formatting requirements. You may also find the UIC Thesis Style files helpful.

At the start of the semester in which you plan to defend -

  • Contact your thesis advisor to discuss the approximate date of the thesis defense and identify the defense committee members. Students must begin the necessary paperwork for committee approval at least 30 days PRIOR to their defense date.
  • Contact the Assistant Director of Graduate Studies if you have questions about potential committee members. Note that emeritus faculty will satisfy the "full member" requirement, but not the "tenured" requirement.
  • Make sure you satisfy the enrollment requirements for defending your thesis. Contact the Assistant Director of Graduate Studies if you have any questions about this requirement.

Thirty days prior to your thesis defense -

  • Complete and print the Committee Recommendation form pdf. Requirements for committee membership are outlined on the form. You must include the title of your paper, and this title CANNOT be changed once the Committee Recommendation form is submitted. Print the form, obtain your advisor's signature, attach a copy of the outside member's curriculum vitae, and submit to the MSCS Graduate Studies office. At that time, inform the Graduate Studies office of the time and date of your defense.
  • Contact the Assistant to the Head of MSCS to reserve a room for your thesis defense.

A few days prior to your defense -

  • Your advisor will receive your official paperwork to carry to the defense from the MSCS Graduate Studies office. You or your advisor will email all committee members to remind them of the date, time, and location of the exam. Any changes should be reported to the Graduate Studies office.

Immediately following your defense -

  • Your advisor must obtain the signatures of all committee members on the two red-bordered pages and the exam report form, then return the paperwork to the MSCS Graduate Studies office within 48 hours. Graduate Studies will obtain the signature of the Department Head and return the paperwork to the Graduate College.

Submitting your defended/approved thesis -

  • Refer to the Graduate College website for instructions on the Electronic Submission of the Thesis.
  • As a part of the online submission, you will need to provide the email address of the MSCS Director of Graduate Studies who serves as the "program thesis format reviewer". This email address is dgs@math.uic.edu.

Establish a file of recommendation letters -

  • Contact three (3) or more faculty to write a letter of recommendation on your behalf, to be kept on file in MSCS and sent upon your request. These letters will be maintained in a confidential file and can be updated throughout your career. For more details on how you may take advantage of this service, refer to Recommendation Letters.

Once you obtain employment-