1. Degree Plan. Upon acceptance into a doctoral program, the student will be notified by the Office of Graduate Studies and Research, who his/her major adviser will be for the doctoral program. The student should contact his/her major adviser to discuss the doctoral degree plan. The degree plan will then be completed with the major and minor advisers (if a minor is selected) and forwarded to the Office of Graduate Studies and Research for approval no later than the first semester of enrollment as a doctoral student. An official copy of the degree plan will then be sent to the student and the department.
2. Course Requirements. A minimum of 90 semester hours beyond the baccalaureate degree or 60 semester hours beyond the master’s degree is required for the doctoral degree. At least 45 hours of graduate course credit must be earned from Texas A&M University-Commerce. All courses applied toward a doctoral degree must be 500-level or higher. No more than 12 graduate credit hours (including hours completed in nondegree status) beyond the master’s degree taken prior to admission to a doctoral program can be applied toward a doctoral degree.
   1. Major. A major requires at least 36 semester hours excluding dissertation hours (718); however, a specific program may require additional semester hours for a major. (Specific program requirements are listed under each departmental section of this catalog.)
   2. Minor. Students selecting the 60 hours beyond the master’s degree option are not required to have a minor. A minor consisting of a minimum of 30 semester hours is required in all 90-hour programs except counseling, psychology, and English programs. The minor requirement can be fulfilled by one of the following options:
      1. A comprehensive minor with all course work in one academic area. A committee member will be assigned from the academic area and will determine the courses to be taken and be involved in evaluating the written and oral qualifying examinations, the dissertation, and the dissertation defense.
      2. A split minor is two academic areas with at least 12 hours in each area (a 12-18 or 15-15 format). Committee members will be assigned from both academic areas, and they will determine the courses to be taken and to be involved in the written and oral qualifying examinations, the dissertation, and the dissertation defense.
      3. An interdisciplinary studies minor in three academic areas (a 12-9-9 format). In rare cases, an interdisciplinary studies minor consisting of at least 9 hours in each of three academic areas may be approved. Committee members will be assigned from each of the academic areas, and will be involved in the written and oral qualifying examination, the dissertation proposal, and the dissertation defense.
         
         Regardless of the option chosen the following conditions will apply: assignment  of minor advisers rests with the head of the minor department or departments; all courses applied to the minor areas must be approved by the head of the appropriate minor department; at least one committee member must be from outside the student’s major department; transfer courses applied toward a minor must be in academic areas taught at Texas A&M University-Commerce.
   3. Other Requirements:
      1. Credit for no fewer than nine semester hours and not more than 12 semester hours of dissertation (718).
      2. Electives and other course requirements as indicated under each departmental section of this catalog.
      3. Research Tools (see No. 9).
         Specific program requirements are listed under each departmental section of this catalog.
3. Grade Point Average. A grade point average of 3.00 or better on all graduate work completed at A&M-Commerce and in the student’s major, as well as an overall grade point average of 3.00 or better on all graduate courses completed, is required for graduation. If a course is retaken, the last grade will be counted toward graduation and computation of the overall grade point average. No grade of “C” or below will count toward a doctoral degree. A course in which an “F” is received is considered a course completed. Only grades earned at A&M-Commerce will be calculated with student’s grade point average.
4. Academic Probation and Suspension from Doctoral Degree Programs. A student who fails to achieve and maintain an overall 3.00 graduate grade point average during any semester of enrollment will be placed on academic probation. A student who fails to achieve a 3.00 overall graduate grade point average by the end of the next semester of enrollment will be placed on academic suspension for a minimum of two semesters (two summer terms count as one semester). After the academic suspension is served, the student may be allowed to reenroll only upon the recommendation of the major department and with the approval of the Dean of Graduate Studies and Research. Failure to achieve an overall 3.00 graduate grade point average during any subsequent semester of enrollment will result in dismissal, and the student will not be allowed to pursue further study toward the doctoral degree at A&M-Commerce. No course with a grade of “C” or lower will count toward a doctoral degree. A student receiving a grade of “C” or lower in a third graduate course will be suspended and will not be allowed to pursue further doctoral study at A&M-Commerce. This provision applies to all courses taken, including all duplicated courses. Courses taken from other institutions will not be transferable if taken during a period of suspension from Texas A&M University-Commerce. Students on academic suspension from another institution will not be admitted to A&M-Commerce until their specific period of suspension expires. A student who fails to meet the professional expectations of the field for which they are preparing may be suspended from further study in that program by the department administering that program.
   A graduate student who has not been enrolled for a period of at least 6 years may petition the Dean of Graduate Studies and Research to have previous graduate grades from courses at Texas A&M University-Commerce eliminated from the calculation of the official grade point average provided the courses were taken over 10 years previously. No courses eliminated from such calculation can be used toward a graduate degree
5. Residency. After admission to a doctoral degree program, each student is required to engage in activities that fulfill departmental residency requirements. The departmental residency plan specifies requirements in the following areas:
   1. Involvement in events that broaden intellectual growth.
   2. Use of academic support resources.
   3. Faculty-student interactions that promote scholarship, mentoring, and opportunities for evaluation.
   4. Involvement with cognate disciplines and research scholars in those disciplines.
   5. Engagement in meaningful peer interactions.
      Please check with the major department for specific requirements. Successful completion of residency is conferred by approval of the department.
      
6. Time Limitation. All degree requirements beyond the master’s must be completed within 10 calendar years from the date of admission to the doctoral program. However, course work taken beyond the master’s degree and that is over 10 years old at the time the doctoral degree is to be conferred cannot be used toward the doctoral degree.
7. Catalog Privileges. A student is entitled to use the degree provisions of any catalog in effect between the semester the student is admitted to the doctoral degree program and the semester the student’s degree is conferred, provided the catalog used is not more than 10 years old at the time the degree is conferred.
   
8. Research Tools. Candidates for the doctoral degree must possess proficiency in the use of the research skills necessary to successfully complete the doctoral dissertation. It is desirable for students to demonstrate these proficiencies early in their program, and they must demonstrate such proficiency prior to taking the qualifying examinations. These requirements are to be viewed as minimal requirements. Consequently, a department may require additional research tools courses either for all of their students or as a requirement for an individual student.
   1. Research tool requirements for the Doctor of Education (EdD) and the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in the College of Education can be met by successfully completing one course from each of the following four levels with a grade of “B” or better:
      Level I: 695 Doctoral Research Seminar
      Level II: Psy 612 Psychological and Educational Statistics; or Soc 576 Data Analysis in Social Research; or HHPK 617 Statistical Procedures in Health and Human Performance; or HiEd 617 Statistical Procedures for Education and Research.
      Level III: Coun 613 Advanced Statistical Techniques or Psy 681 Intermediate Statistics
      Level IV: EdAd 698 Ethnography of Education Organizations; or HiEd 696 Advanced Research Methodology: Interpretive Inquiry; or Psy 610 Nonparametric Statistics; or Psy 670 Multivariate Analysis; or Coun 690 Practicum in Qualitative Research.
      All research tool courses must be taken in sequence (i.e., Level I should be taken before Level II).
      These courses are to be approved, in advance of their offering, by the Graduate Council. The second level research tool (Introductory Statistics) may be satisfied by the successful completion of a proficiency examination covering these courses. Contact the Office of Graduate Studies and Research for proficiency examination information.
   2. The research requirement for the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in English is 12 semester hours of appropriate college-level classes in one foreign language or 6 semester hours of graduate level French for Reading. Students with native or nearnative competence in a relevant foreign language may consult with the departmental Director of Graduate studies regarding this requirement.
      
9. Qualifying Examinations. Upon the completion of approximately 2 full years of study, doctoral students take written and oral qualifying examinations. The qualifying examinations are designed to test the student’s knowledge in the major and minor fields and are administered under the direction of an advisory committee consisting of representatives from the major and minor departments. An application for taking qualifying examinations and a current Texas A&M University-Commerce transcript must be submitted to the major department at least 3 weeks prior to the examinations.  An applicant who does not pass the qualifying examinations may be suspended from the doctoral program, or upon the recommendation of the advisory committee and with the approval of the Dean of Graduate Studies and Research, may be permitted to repeat the examinations.
   
10. Admission to Candidacy for Doctoral Degree. After the qualifying examinations have been satisfactorily completed and all requirements have been verified by the Graduate School, the student will be admitted to candidacy.  Notification of admission to candidacy will be made by the Dean of Graduate Studies and Research. After a student has been admitted to candidacy and all course work (except 718 Dissertation) has been completed, the student may qualify for reduced tuition. The degree can be conferred no sooner than 8 months after admission to candidacy.
    
11. Dissertation. A candidate must present a dissertation that is acceptable to the student’s advisory committee and the Dean of Graduate Studies and Research. To be acceptable, the dissertation must give evidence that the candidate has pursued a program of research, the results of which reveal superior academic competence and a significant contribution to knowledge in the field.
    
    1. Advisory committee. The student should check with the head of the major department concerning the membership of the dissertation committee. The committee will consist of a minimum of three faculty members from the student’s major and minor areas of study (at least one committee member must be from outside the student’s major department).
    2. Proposal. Prior to proposing, the student must secure IRB/IACUC approval if human subjects and/or animals are being using in his/her research.  The student will work with the members of the advisory committee in developing the dissertation proposal.  The proposal will be presented to the advisory committee and a Graduate Council representative in a session that will be open to all graduate faculty members.  To schedule the session, the student must submit the Schedule of the Presentation of the Dissertation Proposal Form, fully completed and signed, to the Graduate School no later than the 25th of the month prior to the month the session is scheduled.  The student must gain proposal approval before any contact with human subjects/animals is conducted and at least one semester prior to graduation.  After the proposal session, the student must submit to the Graduate School:
       A hard copy of the proposal
       Dissertation Proposal Form
       Adviser's Approval to Submit Proposal Form
    3. Human Subjects Protection. Any research that involves human subjects must be in compliance with University Procedure 15.99.01.R0.01 Human Subjects Protection. The student must obtain written approval from his/her department and the University Institutional Review Board prior to contacting any research subjects. Failure to gain appropriate approval before interacting with research subjects could result in denial of the student’s proposal and also could result in legal ramifications for the student. Therefore, students should obtain IRB approval prior to their proposal presentation.
    4. Animal Care & Use. Any research that involves animal care and use must be in compliance with University Procedure 15.99.03.R0.03, Animal Care and Use. The student must obtain written approval from his/her department and the University Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) prior to conducting any research involving animals. Failure to gain appropriate approval before conducting research with animals could result in denial of the student's thesis proposal and also could result in legal ramifications for the student. The Animal Care and Use form must be approved before the dissertation proposal can be approved. IACUC forms and information are available online.
    5. Dissertation Credit. After admission to candidacy, the student is required to enroll in at least 3 hours of 718 each fall and spring semester until the dissertation is completed and approved by the advisory committee and the Graduate School. Enrollment during the summer term is not required unless the student is using the counsel of the major adviser and/or University facilities. Students who fail to enroll for dissertation during a fall or spring semester after admission to candidacy will be prohibited from enrolling until the tuition has been paid for those semesters.
    6. Scheduling the final examination/dissertation defense. A Schedule for the Final Examination/Dissertation Defense form must be filed in the Office of Graduate Studies and Research by the 25th of the month prior to the month the examination is to be held. The Final Examination/Defense Report will then be forwarded to the committee chairperson for recording the results.
       
12. Final Examination/Dissertation Defense. The student will defend the completed dissertation and respond to any questions related to his/her program of study before the advisory committee in a session open to all graduate faculty members. A Graduate Council representative will attend the examination to help assure that general graduate standards related to format and quality are upheld. Students must be in good academic standing with the Office of Graduate Studies and Research to be eligible to take the final examination.
    
13. Submission of Dissertation. Registration in the dissertation course (718) is required the semester that the dissertation is submitted.
    1. Initial submission. One copy of the dissertation in its final form must be submitted to the Office of Graduate Studies and Research by the deadline indicated in the schedule of classes or the Graduate Catalog for that particular semester (this deadline is approximately 5 weeks prior to commencement). Accompanying this copy will be the following:
       1. Final Examination/Dissertation Defense Report.
       2. Receipt showing payment of the doctoral fees, plus fees for copyright, binding and mailing the dissertation. (Payment is to be made to the Business Office, cashier’s window, Administration Building.).
       3. Five signature pages, four on 100% cotton bond, at least 20 lb. paper, and one on plain paper, with each page signed by the committee members and dean of the college.
       4. Survey of Earned Doctorates and Agreement Form (copyright).
       5. Advisers Approval to Submit Dissertation Form
       6. Dissertation Information Sheet.
    2. Final Submission. The candidate will be contacted with any changes to the manuscript. After making these changes, the student will have final copies made on 100% white cotton bond, at least 20 lb. paper. The Office of Graduate Studies and Research requires five final copies (four copies on the 100 percent white cotton bond, at least 20 lb. paper, and one copy on regular paper) of the dissertation. Four copies will be bound and distributed to the student’s major department, major adviser, the library, and the student.
    3. Final approval of the dissertation rests with the Dean of Graduate Studies and Research.
       
14. Filing for Graduation and Commencement. Commencement exercises are held three times each academic year in May, August, and December. Students must file for graduation with the Registrar’s Office during the semester they plan to graduate. Students will be approved for graduation and the degree after they have completed all degree requirements satisfactorily and been approved by the Graduate Committee of the department and the Graduate School. Please check the University Academic Calendar for deadline dates for filing. Graduation information and a graduation application are available online at www.tamu-commerce.edu/registrar/graduation.asp. A student must be in good academic standing in order to complete graduation requirements. Participation in the commencement ceremony does not guarantee the conferring of any degree. Texas A&M University-Commerce has the right to rescind any conferred degree if the University becomes aware that the student did not meet degree requirements. Doctoral candidates are required to attend commencement. Permission from the Dean of Graduate Studies and Research must be obtained if circumstances prevent a candidate from attending commencement. 

Transfer of Credit
Credit for work taken from other regionally accredited graduate schools in the United States is granted in accordance with an evaluation by the Graduate School and upon approval by the student’s advisory committee. Transfer courses applied to a doctoral degree must be in a graduate academic area taught by Texas A&M University-Commerce. Time limitations on transfer courses are the same as for A&M-Commerce courses. Transfer credit will be granted for only those courses in which the student received a grade of “B” or better. Only grades earned at A&M-Commerce will be calculated into the student’s grade point average.

Correspondence Courses
Credit earned by correspondence will not apply toward a doctoral degree.

Independent Studies
Registration in an individual studies (589 or 689), research, or similar course shall imply an expected level of effort on the part of the student comparable to that associated with an organized class with the same credit value. No more than twelve graduate semester hours (including master’s credit) of individual studies courses may be applied to a doctoral degree. Independent Studies course credit cannot be used toward fulfilling the residency requirement.

Enrollment Limitation or Administrative Withdrawal
Enrollment in any graduate course is subject to approval by the department offering the course, the instructor teaching the course, and the Dean of Graduate Studies and Research, whether or not such is specifically stated in the course description. A student may be prevented from enrolling in the course or dropped from the course if it is already in progress if the Graduate Dean, department head, or a faculty member considers the student physically or mentally incapable of performing satisfactorily or safely in a course, or if the student becomes a threat to the instructor or others in the course or is disruptive in any way. In such cases, the Graduate Dean will confer with the faculty member and department head involved and then take appropriate action. Any tuition refund to which the student is entitled will be determined according to the University schedule for refunds and will be based on the date on which the student was dropped from the course.