Revised 6/2006

In thesis programs, the attainment of candidacy marks the completion of all requirements for the degree other than those related to research leading to the writing, submission, and defense of the thesis. When candidacy is approved, a thesis committee consisting of at least three tenured or tenure-track faculty or research fellows is appointed. This committee is responsible for reviewing the thesis and for examining the candidate on the subject matter contained therein. Almost all other actions necessary for final completion of the remaining degree requirements is the sole responsibility of the candidate. Some of these responsibilities are listed below in the order in which they need to be undertaken. To ensure that all necessary steps have been completed a thesis submission packet is sent to each student upon approval of candidacy.

THE CANDIDATE'S RESPONSIBILITIES

Consult with members of the Thesis Committee about the nature and progress of research as the project develops.

NOTE: The writing of the thesis should be a serious concern. Correct grammar and spelling, as well as logical organization and a clear, literate prose style is expected.

Oral Defense

1. Schedule the final oral examination in defense of thesis to take place at a time agreeable to all members of the committee. Be sure to consult the deadlines listed in the Academic Calendar to ensure that you meet the defense deadline for commencement. In order to graduate, the final thesis must be submitted to the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies before noon on the deadline listed in the Academic Calendar.
2. Arrange for public notice to appear at least two weeks in advance of the oral examination.

   For the doctoral degree, the examination must be publicly announced. Students should note that announcements should be made at least two weeks before the scheduled defense. Defense announcements can be submitted to the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies by filling out the following form: http://events.rice.edu/rgs/. In appropriate circumstances an oral examination for the Ph.D. may be scheduled during the summer, and the procedure for posting of notice is the same as during the regular school year.

   For the master's degree, public notice of the oral examination should be posted on the departmental bulletin board one week prior to the defense; in addition, a hard copy of the announcement must be sent to Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies (MS 13).

3. The Original Approval of Candidacy form (initials in the top right corner will be in red) will be sent to your department as soon as the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies receives the defense announcement. The members of your committee must sign the Candidacy form.
4. Within a week after the final oral examination in defense of thesis is passed, mail a copy of the Approval of Candidacy form, signed (and dated) by the thesis committee, to the Office of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies. This signifies a successful defense of the thesis.

   Students passing the oral examination on or before the end of the first week of classes of any semester do not have to register for that or any subsequent semester even though they may be continuing to make minor revisions to the final copy of their thesis. Following the successful passing of the oral examination in defense of the thesis, two signed copies of the thesis must be submitted to Office of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies no later than six months from the date of the examination.

5. Prepare the final copy of the thesis in accordance with instructions contained in the document entitled "Thesis Format." Note: The Thesis Format instructions are good practice guidelines.

Once the final copy of the thesis is prepared, it must be submitted to the Office of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies. However, before submitting the thesis, items 6-8 must be completed.

Thesis Submission

The candidate should:

6. Complete a University Microfilms Inc. (UMI) Dissertation Agreement Form (available in the thesis submission packet from the Graduate Studies Office, Suite 315 Allen Center).

   NOTE: UMI offers a number of optional services to the candidate. These include an offer to provide either hardcover or soft cover copies of the thesis and an offer to file a claim of US copyright. Rice University does not require the candidate's acceptance of any of these optional services. The candidate is required only to provide the information related to the thesis requested on the front of Agreement Form (this includes your present and future mailing address) and to sign the Dissertation Agreement on the back.

   Candidates who desire to have UMI file a claim of copyright for their thesis must obtain a certified check or money order (no personal checks) for $65, made payable to University Microfilm Inc., and attach it to the agreement. In that case, the following copyright notice must appear on a separate page preceding the title page in every copy of the thesis:

   Copyright
   Writer's Name (name as it appears on title page)
   Year (year of graduation)

   A student who wishes to copyright should discuss the possibility of doing so with the directing professor early in the research project, since the terms of some grants and contracts prohibit copyrighting of thesis materials developed under their sponsorship.

7. For the doctorate only: Complete a Survey of Earned Doctorates questionnaire
8. For terminal degrees: Complete a Career Services Survey.
9. Pay the Cashier (First floor, Allen Center) for binding two copies of the thesis (one to be kept in the Rice University library and one for your department) and for the other services listed in the fee schedule.
   FEE SCHEDULE:

   Thesis binding, two copies @$17.00/each	$34.00
   Microfiche for Rice archives	$17.00
   Required services provided by University Microfilm Inc. (UMI), including publication of the abstract in Dissertation Abstracts International or Masters Abstracts:
   for doctorate for master's Diploma	$55.00 $45.00 no charge

   Total required fees for doctorate thesis processing: $106 (cash or check to Rice University)
   Total required fees for masters thesis processing: $96 (cash or check to Rice University)
   OPTIONAL: Copyright fee: $65 (certified check or money order to University Microfilm Inc.)

   NOTE: The Cashier will issue a receipt for the above payment that will also be used to validate the acceptance of your thesis. You can pay by cash or check. The Cashier's office is unable to accept credit card or online payments for thesis processing fees. When you submit the final copy of the thesis, the receipt will be signed by the Dean of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies to indicate that the thesis procedures have been followed. Later it will be signed by a representative of the Woodson Research Center to signify that your thesis has been received by the library for safekeeping. The receipt will also be signed by the registrar’s office. Please take care of this receipt.

When the four tasks listed above (Items 6-9) have been completed:

10. Submit the final copies (2) of your thesis (together with the items listed below) to the Office of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies.

    NOTE: In order to graduate in any particular year, the final thesis must be submitted to the Office of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies by the deadline listed in the academic calendar in the General Announcements. This deadline is absolute and cannot be extended.

All of the items listed below must be brought to the Graduate Office when the final copies of your thesis are submitted. If these procedures are not followed correctly, your thesis will not be accepted until the revisions are made.

1. 1. Two acceptable copies (on 100% cotton rag or 20 lb. bond paper) of the thesis. The title page of each thesis must have original signatures of all members of the Thesis Committee
   2. Two 12" x 15-1/2" manila clasp envelopes.
   3. The Cashier's receipt (Item 9 above).
   4. Four copies of the signed title page (in addition to the copy that is attached to the Dissertation Agreement).
   5. The original Approval of Candidacy form, properly signed by members of the thesis committee to signify successful completion of the oral defense, with the exact title of the thesis typed on the appropriate line.
   6. Two labels (available in the thesis submission packets from the Office of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies) used to identify the unbound theses while they are being stored in the Woodson Research Center of the Fondren Library. Complete the labels, but do not attach them to the clasp envelopes.

      Complete the labels by filling in-

      Name—your name, last name on the first line and first name on the second line
      Type of degree—for example M.A. or M.S. or Ph.D.
      Copy—the first copy of your thesis is copy 1, and the second is copy 2
      Volume—If your thesis is more than 1 3/4 inches thick, it must be bound in two volumes. The thesis should be split in more or less equal parts at some sensible point, such as the start of a new chapter, and each part should be packaged in a separate envelope. Label the first label Copy 1, Volume 1 of 2, the second label Copy 2, Volume 2 of 2. The third label will have Copy 2, Volume 1 of 2, and the fourth label will contain Copy 2, Volume 2 of 2. If you have only one volume, your first label will have Copy 1, Volume 1 of 1, the second label will contain Copy 2, Volume 1 of 1.
      Department—list your department

      Indicate whether or not you will be copyrighting your thesis.

   7. The University Microfilms (UMI) Dissertation Agreement with a cashiers check or money order to cover any optional services. One extra copy of the title page and one extra copy of the thesis abstract should be clipped to the agreement.
   8. Statement of Responsibility. This form indicates that you are aware that your thesis cannot be distributed unless it is in good order. Please include a current address or e-mail address at which you can be contacted if there are problems with your thesis.
   9. Access to the Library form.
   10. The Survey of Earned Doctorates questionnaire, if applicable.
   11. Career Services survey.

       Assemble the thesis and other documents in this order-

       • · Copyright (if applicable)

         --AND--

       • · Title page (preceded by copyright notice if applicable)
       • · Abstract
       • · Acknowledgments
       • · Table of Contents
       • · List of Tables, etc., if any
       • · Preface, if any
       • · Text (The first page of the text is the first Arabic-numbered page)
       • · Notes (unless they appear on pages of text or at end of chapters)
       • · Bibliography or list of references
       • · Appendices, if any, may follow notes or bibliography.

       After your thesis is accepted by the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies:

       · Deliver the two approved copies of the thesis in their envelopes, the cashier’s receipt, and a copy of the title page with the degree-granting department circled in red to the receiving agent of the Woodson Research Center of Fondren Library. (This is a good time to turn in carrel keys and overdue books and pay any outstanding library fees.

       NOTE: After the thesis has been turned in, you may not have access to it.

       · Deliver the original Approval of Candidacy form, signed by the Thesis Committee and the Vice Provost, and the cashier’s receipt to the Registrar’s office. The cashier’s receipt will be signed, indicating you have submitted the Candidacy form to the Registrar.

       · After the two copies of the thesis are delivered to the Woodson Research Center, it remains there until after commencement of the same school year. During this time, no one may retrieve a thesis without the written permission of the Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies Office. Within several weeks after commencement, a person from the library’s Technical Services Department retrieves the first copy of all the theses and sends them to University Microfilms, Inc. UMI microfilms and binds them and sends them back to the Fondren Library. These copies are then cataloged and sent to the stacks. The microfiche copies are stored in the Woodson Research Center. At this time the second copy is sent to a regional bindery. After binding it is returned to the Fondren Library. The degree-granting departments are contacted to pick up the second copy.