DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN ART

(ART EDUCATION Ph.D.) 

PROCEDURES AND REQUIREMENTS

Updated December 2024

 

A Doctor of Philosophy in Art degree with an emphasis in Art Education is the highest degree offered by the area of Art Education. The culmination of the degree is the acceptance of a doctoral dissertation that demonstrates that the student is capable of doing independent and original research that contributes to the body of knowledge in the field. Admission to the program requires experience in art education or related teaching experience. Candidates for the degree will demonstrate competence in academic writing, research methodologies and contemporary theories and practices in art education and related disciplines. The specific sequence of courses for each candidate will depend on the student’s area of interest and previous coursework. Admission to candidacy is granted at the completion of a minimum of thirty hours of coursework, satisfying the research skills requirement, approval of the dissertation prospectus, and satisfactory performance on the written and oral components of the comprehensive exam.

 

STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES

1. It is the student's responsibility to meet all requirements for the degree, including Art School requirements listed in this document; and to observe all appropriate deadlines as the graduate program progresses. Each student should carefully study the following throughout their program:

2. Please check your UGA email account on a regular basis for important announcements given that all official UGA emails are sent to your UGA account.

3. Art Education students should subscribe to the Art Education Graduate listserv and any other relevant listservs by visiting http://listserv.uga.edu. Once on the site: log in, click on Subscriber’s Corner, and search the following:

  • ARTED to subscribe to ARTED-GRADS listserv

4. Keep the School of Art Graduate Coordinator's Office updated on changes of address, phone number, and email.

 

ACCEPTANCE OF TRANSFER OF CREDIT

No courses taken at another institution prior to admission to the doctoral degree program at The University of Georgia are eligible for transfer.

 

ENROLLMENT POLICIES

Degree-seeking graduate students at the University of Georgia are required to register for a minimum of 3 hours for at least two semesters in each academic year (fall, spring, summer). Please note that the graduate enrollment policy does not replace any more stringent policy affecting enrollment. For example, students who’ve been awarded graduate assistantships must register for the minimum hours required by that policy (9 for summer, 12 for fall and spring for one-third to one-half service assistantships). International students and those receiving financial aid must register for the number of hours required by those programs. Students must register for a minimum of 3 hours during the semester they complete degree requirements even if they were registered for the two previous semesters. Students must register for a minimum of three hours in any semester in which they use university resources, including faculty time.

Failing to comply with enrollment policies can be expensive. Penalties are explained in the policy. Please become familiar with the enrollment policy in the Graduate Bulletin at http://www.uga.edu/gradschool/academics/registration.html

 

ACADEMIC HONESTY

All students must be familiar with and abide by UGA's academic honesty policy. Policy can be found at website: https://honesty.uga.edu

 

AUDITING A COURSE

University policy requires permission from the department, in effect, from the course instructor, to audit a course. Students auditing courses in Art Education must have permission from the instructor to register as an audit and should discuss the conditions of the audit with the instructor before classes begin.

 

DIRECTED STUDY COURSES

A student who wishes to enroll for a directed study course must obtain permission from faculty who will be directing the study and their advisor. A directed study form will need to be filled out by the advisor. Please note that Directed Study courses will not count towards the minimum of 18 hours of 8000-level and 9000-level coursework required for the program of study.

 

GRADE AVERAGE

To be eligible for graduation, a student must maintain a 3.0 (B) average on the graduate transcript and a 3.0 (B) average on the program of study. No course with a grade below C may be placed on the final program of study.

 

TIME LIMIT AND ENROLLMENT POLICIES

a. PhD Time Limit for students matriculating before Fall 2024
All pre-candidacy requirements for the degree (i.e. coursework on the program of study) must be completed within a period of six years. This time requirement dates from the first registration for graduate courses on a student’s program of study.

After passing the comprehensive examination and being admitted to candidacy, a candidate for a doctoral degree must complete all degree requirements, including the dissertation and final oral examination, within five years. A student who does not complete all degree requirements within five years of admission to candidacy will be required to take the comprehensive examinations again and be admitted to candidacy a second time.

A student may petition for an exception to this policy by writing a letter to the Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School. This request for an extension of time must include the specific reasons that the student did not complete the requirements in the time allotted. The student must include a specific timeline for the completion of degree requirements. The student’s major professor must review the student’s request and write a letter to the Vice Provost and Dean stating approval or disapproval of the petition. The graduate coordinator and department head must review the major professor’s recommendation and indicate their concurrence by writing an additional letter. If they do not concur with the recommendation, further information should be provided by them in the letter. An extension of time may be granted only on conditions beyond the control of the student.

b. PhD Time Limit for students matriculating Fall 2024 and after
Doctoral students must complete all requirements for the doctoral degree and the degree must be awarded within eight (8) calendar years after initial enrollment/registration in the program.

For example, if the date of first registration for a doctoral student is the fall semester of 2024, the eight-year time limit expires in summer semester of 2032. The student's time-to-degree clock starts with the first course approved for inclusion in their doctoral Program of Study, or the date of matriculation into the program, whichever occurred earlier.

Individual colleges/schools or academic programs may have more restrictive requirements than the above stated Graduate School policy. The eight-year time limit does not include approved periods of leave. Additionally, doctoral time to degree is calculated separately for degrees obtained in each academic program. Students who fail to complete their degrees within eight years after initial enrollment will be considered as not making satisfactory progress to degree completion and will be dismissed from the Graduate School. The Graduate School will notify all doctoral students when they have reached the 7-year mark to warn them about the impending 8-year degree time limit.

Degree Time Limit Extensions

Doctoral students in good academic standing who experience extenuating circumstances that prevent them from completing their degrees within the requisite eight years may petition for an extension of the degree time limit to the Vice Provost/Dean of the Graduate School. Such circumstances include military obligations, family and medical challenges, and other life events. A petition for an extension of the degree time limit requires support from the major professor, Associate Director of Graduate Studies, and academic unit head.

The petition for an extension of time must include the specific reasons why the student did not complete the degree in the time allotted and a detailed timeline proposal for the completion of the degree. The student's major professor must review the extension of time request and write a letter to the Vice Provost/Dean of the Graduate School stating approval or disapproval of the petition. The Associate Director of Graduate Studies and department head/chair must review the major professor's recommendation and indicate their concurrence by writing an additional letter. If they do not concur with the recommendation, further justification should be provided in the letter.

The maximum extension of the degree time limit that may be granted is 24 months and the total time to degree shall not exceed ten (10) years.

If a petition for an extension of time is approved by the Vice Provost/Dean of the Graduate School, the student will be notified in writing of the expectations for progress and of the expected timeline for degree completion.

If the petition if denied, the student will be notified in writing that they will be dismissed from the Graduate School. Students dismissed under such circumstances may appeal their dismissal to the Appeals Committee of Graduate Council.

Exceptions

This policy does not apply to students who are enrolled in dual-degree or joint-degree programs that have different time-to-degree requirements. Such students must follow the policies of their respective programs.

 

PROBATION AND DISMISSAL

Students may be dismissed at the end of any semester if they have not made sufficient academic progress to warrant continuance of study. See additional information at Academic Regulations and Procedures on the Graduate School website.

 

ADVISEMENT/ADVISORY COMMITTEE

At the time of admission, the student will be assigned a temporary advisor by the Area Chair. Before completing 24 credit hours, the student should meet and discuss their research interests with their advisor in order to guide the selection of a Major Professor and an Advisory Committee. By the completion of 24-30 credit hours, the student should confirm a Major Professor and, in consultation with that professor, select their Advisory Committee, consisting of the Major Professor as Chair and at least two additional members. The committee must be composed of at least three full-time UGA faculty with Graduate status and one member must be from a related area outside of Art Education. This committee must have the approval of the School of Art Graduate Coordinator and the Dean of the Graduate School. To obtain approval, submit the Advisory Committee Form.

The Advisory Committee, in consultation with the student, is responsible for providing feedback during the Pre-Comprehensive Exam Meeting, guiding the student's program of study, administering the written and oral comprehensive examinations, approving the Prospectus and Dissertation, and advising in regard to all requirements. 

IMPORTANT: Please be aware that faculty are not contracted during the summer. With this in mind, you should plan accordingly to ensure that you have the support you need for academic advising, examinations, or other forms of support during the academic year, which typically runs mid-August to mid-May. Any work you do in the summer months will need to be undertaken independently. This will be especially important for you to keep in mind in the later stages of your degree as you plan a timeline for research and advising, defenses, and, ultimately, graduation.

 

CHANGES IN MAJOR PROFESSOR AND ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP

Changes in Advisory Committee membership, including the Major Professor, may occur during a student’s doctoral program for a number of reasons. Either the student or a faculty member may initiate changes in Advisory Committee membership. Caution and prudence should be used when making Advisory Committee changes, and all changes must be made with the objective of helping the student complete the degree. To change your Major Professor, complete the Change in Major Professor Form. A new Advisory Committee form will have to be approved and signed by the Graduate Coordinator.

 

PRELIMINARY AND FINAL PROGRAMS OF STUDY

Students, in consultation with their Advisor and Advisory Committee, should develop a rich and challenging program of study that suits their individual scholarship and research goals. The Department encourages students to take courses across the College and University and to engage in University-wide events and projects that enhance their doctoral student experience and prepare them for future scholarship and practice.

A Preliminary Program of Study Form must be submitted to the Graduate School by the end of 30 hours of coursework. The program of study will be developed by the Major Professor and the student and must be approved by a majority of the Advisory Committee. A final program of study must be submitted to the Graduate School prior to application for admission to candidacy. A minimum of 30 credit hours of course- work, exclusive of dissertation credit, must be taken at The University of Georgia at the graduate level.

 

University-wide Required Courses

As of fall 2022, all graduate students are required to take the GradFIRST seminar (GRSC 7001). This one-credit, seminar style class is designed to introduce graduate students to supplement discipline-specific education with more generalized material meant to help incoming students successfully navigate graduate education at UGA. This course is to be taken in addition to the three-credit Graduate Seminar (GRSC 7770), which is required for all students on assistantship with instructional duties.

 

ART EDUCATION PHD PROGRAM OF STUDY

(See corresponding worksheet on the next page)

● Prior to completion of the degree, the graduate school must verify course completion.

● A minimum of 30 hours of academic classroom graduate credit is required for the PhD. However, it is not uncommon for students to take additional courses as needed.

● A minimum of 30 hours of consecutive coursework included on the program of study must be spent in resident study on this campus.

● The entire program of study for a Ph.D. should include 18 hours of 8000-level and 9000-level courses. No more than 12 hours of coursework may be below the 8000 level. Doctoral research (9000), independent study courses, and dissertation writing (9300) may not be counted in these 18 hours.

● 4 Art Education courses are required (12 credits). See WORKSHEET FOR COURSE REQUIREMENTS, below.

● 9 credits of Research are required. See WORKSHEET FOR COURSE REQUIREMENTS.

● All elective courses should be carefully chosen based on a developing research interest and in consultation with the Major Professor. Although a minimum of 9 credit hours of electives is required, most students end up with more than 9 credits.

● Once the course requirements from this table are complete, students should anticipate registering for doctoral research credits (9000 level) through the completion of the PhD.

 

ELECTIVE COURSE OPTIONS

(This list is not exhaustive and is merely a starting point for consideration)

ARED 8430      Topics in Art Education

ARED 8440      Directed Study in Art Education

ARST                Studio course (graduate level)

ARHI                 Art History courses (graduate level)

CHFD 8920      Behavior Problems in Children

CMLT 6545       Comparative Postcolonial Studies

EDEC 7010      Trends and Issues in Early Childhood Education

EDEC 7020      Theory and Curriculum in Early Childhood Education

EDEC 8260      Post-structural Theory and Early Childhood Education

EDEC 8400      Feminist Perspectives in Elementary Education

EFND 7040      History of Education in the United States

EFND 7120      Sociological Theories of Education

EFND 8010      Philosophy of Education

EPSY 6010      Foundations of Human Development for Education

EPSY 7060      Assessment of Gifted Children and Youth

EPSY 7110      Characteristics of Gifted Children and Youth

EPSY 7240      Creativity: Instructional Procedures and Problem Solving Processes

EPSY 8160      Special Topics in Educational Psychology

EPSY 8220      Theories of Creativity

ETAP 7045       (For Example) Social Constructionism, Feminism, and Critical Race Theory

ETAP 8300       Children’s Development of Self: Learning to Become a Competent Member of a Culture

ETAP 8560       New Materialism and New Empiricism in Educational Theory and Practice

ETAP 8585       Foucault and Education

ETAP 8595       Derrida, Deconstruction, and Education

ETAP 8700       Psychoanalysis and Education

JRMC 8070(WMST)       Media Culture and Diversity

LLED 6310       Survey of Children's Literature, Grades P-8

LLED 7312       Poetry, Grades P-8

LLED 8045       Introduction to Youth Participatory Action Research

LLED 8200       Critical Pedagogies

LLED/QUAL 8590       Arts-Based Inquiry in Diverse Learning Communities

PSYC 6210       Individual Differences

QUAL 7500       Action Research

SOCI 6270        Personality and Social Structure

SOCI 6370        Sociology of Race and Ethnicity

WMST 6060      Black Feminism

WMST 6100      Queer Theories

WMST 6070      North American Asian Feminisms

WMST 6170S    Environment, Gender, Race, and Class

WMST 8030      Transnational Gender Studies

WMST 8100      LGBTQ Studies

WMST 8180      Feminist Pedagogy

 

SELECTION OF MAJOR PROFESSOR AND DOCTORAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE

After 24-30 hours of coursework, students should select a Major Professor from the members of the Art Education Faculty. The Major Professor serves as the principal advisor and mentor to students throughout their graduate experience. They also play a critical role in assisting a doctoral student with developing their program of study, selecting a dissertation topic, and completing the degree program. The student should ask the potential Major Professor if they are willing to assume that role.

Additionally, the student should select at least two additional professors for their Doctoral Advisory Committee. Committees may be larger if necessary. This selection should be made in consultation with and upon the approval of the Major Professor. One member must be from a related area outside of Art Education. Once approved by the Major Professor, the student should meet with each potential committee member to discuss their research topic and invite them to be an Advisory Committee member. The role of the Advisory Committee is to work with the student to customize a program of study (identifying courses that help the student prepare for his or her comprehensive exams) and oversee the comprehensive exam process as well as the preparation and approval of the prospectus and the dissertation. Once each faculty member agrees to serve on the committee, the student must obtain signatures on the Advisory Committee Form and return it to the Graduate Coordinator’s office.

 

QUALIFYING EXAMINATION

GUIDELINES FOR THE QUALIFYING EXAMINATION

Students take a qualifying exam to demonstrate their potential for success in continued study and on future exams (comprehensive exams, prospectus, and dissertation). An important goal of doctoral study is preparing students as scholarly writers. A core purpose of the qualifying exam is to work with students to assess their strengths as writers and identify any aspects of scholarly writing that need further support and development.

The qualifying exam is required after a student has completed 15 credit hours in the program. For most students, this exam takes place near the end of their first year in the program and materials are due on May 15 (unless another date is provided by faculty). For the Qualifying Exam, students will submit the following Word documents to their temporary advisor for review:

  1. Current curriculum vitae
  2. One example of an edited and revised academic paper from doctoral coursework
  3. A document (approximately five pages; must follow APA style) that introduces intended research, including the following information:
    1. Description of the research: Explain what you are interested in studying and why.
    2. Statement of the problem: What is the nature of the problem you are interested in investigating through research?
    3. Potential research questions: Generally, about 1 to 3 focused questions.
    4. Significance of the problem: Explain why this study would be significant for the field of art education?
    5. Brief summary of relevant literature: Include literature relevant to topics and theories important to the research.
    6. References: Include a list of at least 10 relevant references using APA formatting.

Once the temporary advisor has approved the exam documents, they will share the documents with the other art education faculty. Once the faculty have reviewed the documents, the temporary faculty advisor will meet with the student to report the faculty assessment. The assessment will recommend that the student: 1) continue in the program; 2) continue in the program and take additional coursework; or 3) discontinue the program.

 

GUIDELINES FOR PRE-COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATION MEETING

Prior to beginning the Comprehensive Exam, students will meet with their Major Professor to discuss preparation for a Pre-Comprehensive Exam (Pre-Comps) Meeting with the Advisory Committee. The Pre-Comps meeting gives students an opportunity to describe their research to their committee and receive feedback on drafted exam questions prior to beginning the Comprehensive Exam process. In preparation for the Pre-Comps Meeting, students will compile the following:

  1. A 2-3 page document that describes the intended direction for doctoral research. While there is no specific format for this document, two possible forms it may take include a narrative that describes the student’s research interest or an abbreviated version of a research proposal.
  2. Three well-developed comprehensive exam questions. Sample comprehensive exam questions will be provided. In general, exam questions align with the following format:
    • One question that prompts an investigation of the research topic
    • One question that prompts an engagement with the theory that will guide the research
    • One question that prompts an exploration of potential methodology for the research
  3. 15-20 APA formatted references for each question.
  4. A general timeline for: completing the comprehensive exam, submitting the dissertation prospectus, implementing the study (including gathering data), and writing and defending the dissertation.

Once the student and the Major Professor agrees that the questions and references are sufficient, the student will contact Advisory Committee members and use meeting software to set up a two- hour Pre-Comps Meeting. During the Pre-Comps Meeting, Advisory Committee members will provide feedback that the student will use to finalize the comprehensive exam questions. Once the questions are revised and approved by the Advisory Committee, the student will let the committee know when they will begin writing their Comprehensive Exam.

 

GUIDELINES FOR DOCTORAL WRITTEN & ORAL COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATION

To be admitted to candidacy for the doctoral degree and begin work on research, students must first pass a Written and Oral Comprehensive Examination.

 

THE WRITTEN PORTION OF THE COMPREHENSIVE EXAM

Once the Advisory Committee has agreed that the student is ready to proceed with the Comprehensive Examination process and has approved the Comprehensive Exam Questions, the student should identify a start and end date for the 12-week written examination and inform the Advisory Committee.

For the written portion of the Comprehensive Exam, students will write a 20-25 page response to each Comprehensive Exam question following APA style. Students should pay careful attention to the specifics of each question, making sure to answer each question fully. Upon completion, the student will inform the Major Professor and obtain approval to contact the Advisory Committee. The student will contact the Advisory Committee members using scheduling software (e.g. Doodle Poll) to set up a two-hour oral examination. Students must take into account that committee members must be given two weeks to review the examination responses prior to the meeting date.

Once all of the committee members and the student have settled on a date, time, and location for the oral exam, the student must complete the Comprehensive Exam Announcement Form, which notifies the Graduate School of the time and place of the oral examination. This form must be turned in to the School of Art Graduate Coordinator’s office. The Graduate School must be notified at least two weeks in advance of the date of the oral examination. This form can be found on the School of Art Graduate Website.

A signed final Program of Study Form must be submitted by the time oral comprehensive examinations are scheduled (i.e., at least two weeks in advance of the oral exam). If a change in the program of study is necessitated (i.e., change in coursework after it has been approved by the Dean), notify the School of Art Graduate Coordinator's Office with the appropriate form so that these changes can be submitted to the Dean for further approval.

 

THE ORAL PORTION OF THE COMPREHENSIVE EXAM

On the scheduled oral exam date, the student will meet with their Doctoral Advisory Committee for the oral portion of the Comprehensive Examination. Immediately after convening the meeting, the student will be asked to step out of the room while the committee discusses their approach to the meeting. The student will be asked to return, at which time they should be prepared to make brief (approximately 5-10 minutes) informal remarks regarding what they have learned through this process, the significance of their graduate studies thus far, and so forth. Then each committee member will ask one or more questions regarding the student’s written responses. Once the committee has finished asking questions, the student will step out of the room again while the committee deliberates the student’s written and oral responses. When the committee is finished deliberating, they will ask the student to return to the room and will share the results of the exam. This is a pass/fail examination for both the written and oral components. The oral portion of the examination takes approximately two hours to complete.

Students are eligible for admission to candidacy once they have successfully defended both the written and oral portion of their comprehensive exams. The student should complete the Application for Admission to Candidacy for Doctoral Degree Form. The student is responsible for initiating an application for admission to candidacy so that it is filed with the Dean of the Graduate School at least one full semester before the date of graduation. The student must register for a minimum of 3 hours credit in any semester when using University facilities and/or staff time.

 

GUIDELINES FOR DISSERTATION PROSPECTUS

Following the successful completion of the Comprehensive Examinations, and in consultation with their major professor, the student will prepare a prospectus proposal that clearly and succinctly articulates the plan for dissertation research. The specific content and format of the dissertation prospectus may vary depending on the research methods employed. The page length of the prospectus will be determined by the Advisory Committee, but will typically be no longer than 25 to 30 pages. Regardless of format, the following elements should be included:

  1. Theoretical framework
  2. Statement of the problem
  3. Research questions
  4. Significance of the problem
  5. A literature review (enough to document the need for the project and to establish a theoretical framework)
  6. Thorough discussion of procedures and methods to be employed in the investigation
  7. Potential importance, implications, and limitations of the investigation
  8. Anticipated time-table for completing the dissertation project
  9. References

Students are eligible to enroll in doctoral research hours (ARED 9000) during the semester in which they are preparing the Prospectus, but they should not enroll in dissertation writing hours (ARED 9300) until the Prospectus has been successfully defended and approved by the committee.

Upon completion, the student will inform the Major Professor and obtain approval to contact the Advisory Committee. The student will contact the Advisory Committee members using scheduling software (e.g. Doodle Poll) to set up a two-hour meeting. Students must take into account that committee members must be given two weeks to review the Prospectus prior to the meeting date.

At the beginning of the Prospectus meeting, students will have 5-minutes to share any insights with the committee regarding their work, after which the committee will ask questions and provide feedback. Once all of the questions and comments have been explored, the committee will determine whether the Prospectus is approved as is or if it is in need of significant revisions and should be resubmitted.

Once the Prospectus is approved, students may enroll in a combination of research (ARED 9000) and writing (ARED 9300) hours for the remainder of their program. Students should refer to the UGA course Bulletin (https://bulletin.uga.edu) to take note of the maximum number of credit hours allowed for each of these courses. If a student is at risk of maxing out the number of credits allowed for either ARED 9000 or ARED 9300, they can consult with their Major Professor about registering for any of the following: ARTS 9000, ARTS 9300, or ARED 9600.

Note students must be enrolled in at least 3 hours of a 9000-level ARED or ARTS course during the semester in which the dissertation is defended.

 

GUIDELINES FOR DISSERTATION APPROVAL AND DEFENSE

THE WRITTEN DISSERTATION

The Major Professor has the primary responsibility for guiding research, but the student should consult all members of the Advisory Committee to draw upon their expertise in relevant areas. When the Major Professor is satisfied with the quality, depth, scholarship, and organization of the completed dissertation, they will direct the student to schedule a final oral examination (Dissertation Defense). The student will contact the Advisory Committee members using scheduling software (e.g. Doodle Poll) to set up a two-hour meeting. Once the examination is scheduled, the student will email the dissertation to the remaining members of the Advisory Committee no later than two weeks in advance of the defense. 

Per University guidelines, the use of generative AI in theses and dissertations is considered unauthorized assistance per the Academic Code of Honesty and is prohibited unless specifically authorized by members of the advisory committee for use within the approved scope. If approved by the advisory committee, the extent of generative AI usage should be disclosed in a statement within the thesis or dissertation.

 

ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE FINAL ORAL EXAMINATION (DISSERTATION DEFENSE)

Portions of the Dissertation Defense are open to the public and therefore the defense must be announced through both the Graduate School and the School of Art.

Notification of the time and place of the dissertation defense must reach the Graduate School, via the Graduate Coordinator, at least two weeks prior to the date of the examination. Notification should take place using the Dissertation Defense Announcement Form. This will ensure that the defense will be announced on the Graduate School website.

In addition to the Graduate School announcement, the defense must also be announced to the School of Art community. The student, under the guidance of the Major Professor, should create a simple flyer to announce the defense using the template provided. The flyer should include the following:
•    Title of the Dissertation
•    One Image
•    Your Name, Doctoral Candidate in Art Education
•    Names of Committee Members
•    Brief Abstract of 150 words or less
•    Day, Date, Time
•    Location (Classroom and/or teleconference link)

The flyer must be completed and approved by the Major Professor at least two weeks in advance of the defense. The Major Professor will then share the flyer to the School of Art Graduate Office for distribution on the student and faculty listservs. 

 

THE FINAL ORAL EXAMINATION (DISSERTATION DEFENSE)

Dissertation defenses will primarily occur during the Fall and Spring semesters. Note students must be enrolled in at least 3 hours of a 9000-level ARED or ARTS course during the semester in which the dissertation is defended. 

Written assent of Advisory Committee members is required before a dissertation can be approved as ready for a final oral defense. No more than 1 dissenting vote is allowed for the dissertation to move forward with approval for the oral defense. If the Advisory Committee declines to approve the dissertation as ready for the final oral defense, the Major Professor will notify the student and the Graduate School. 

The final oral defense of the dissertation is chaired by the student’s Major Professor and attended by all members of the Advisory Committee simultaneously for the entire examination period. The student and committee chair must appear in person for the defense, but other committee members can participate via teleconference or video conference, provided that the comments of all participants can clearly and consistently be heard. If the major professor is not able to attend the defense in person, they can designate a substitute chair who is a current member of the committee. The defense can be held completely remotely if approved by the graduate coordinator and the unit/department head. 

The defense will consist of a public presentation followed by a private defense during which only the student and advisory committee will be in attendance. The public portion is open to anyone who wishes to attend and will include a presentation of approximately 20 minutes, with 10 minutes for open discussion. At the close of the open discussion time, the student and any public attendees will be asked to step out of the room while the committee discusses their approach to the rest of the exam. When the committee has completed their discussion, the student will be asked to return and the private portion of the defense will begin. 

At the conclusion of the exam, the Advisory Committee must approve the student’s dissertation and oral defense with no more than one dissenting vote and must certify their approval in writing. The student’s Major Professor must approve the dissertation for the student to pass. An abstention is not an appropriate vote for the final defense. If there is more than one dissenting vote, the student fails the oral defense but may have one, and only one, more opportunity to successfully defend the dissertation. Upon completion of the oral examination, the Major Professor will submit the Approval Form for Doctoral Dissertation and Final Exam to the School of Art Graduate Office.

Once the written dissertation has been approved by the Advisory Committee and the final oral examination has been passed, the dissertation must be submitted to the Graduate School for final approval no later than two weeks prior to the graduation date of the following semester. Dissertations which are not submitted by this deadline must be defended again and approved by the advisory committee before they will be considered by the Graduate School for final approval.

 

APPLICATION FOR GRADUATION

An Application for Graduation Form must be filed with the Graduate School no later than Friday of the second full week (the first full week of summer) of classes in the semester of the anticipated graduation date. These deadlines are published on the Graduate School website.

Students must enroll for a minimum of three hours during the semester in which degree requirements are completed. The application for graduation is submitted electronically and requires no signatures at: https://athena.uga.edu/ 

 

WORKSHEET FOR DEGREE REQUIREMENTS

Requirement

Suggested Timeframe

Date Fulfilled

Qualifying Exam

15-18 hours

 

Select Major Professor

24-30 hours

 

Approval of Advisory Committee

24-30 hours

 

Approval of Preliminary Program of Study

24-30 hours

 

Pre-Comprehensive Exam Advisory Committee Meeting

24-30 hours

 

Final Doctoral Program of Study

21-30 hours

 

Completion of Research Skills Requirement

30 hours

 

Written and Oral Comprehensive Exam

30-36 hours

 

Application for Admission to Candidacy

Application must be submitted immediately upon Comprehensive exam approval

 

Dissertation Prospectus approval

Must be completed within 2 semesters of passing Written and Oral Comprehensive Exam

 

Apply for Graduation:

Must be completed at the beginning of the semester in which you intend to graduate. See Graduate School website for deadline

 

  Final Dissertation to Major Professor for approval

8 weeks prior to intended defense date

 

Dissertation to Graduate School for format check

See Graduate School website for deadline

 

Final Dissertation to Committee

2 weeks prior to defense

 

 

This handbook was last reviewed in September 2022 and last revised on December 17, 2024.