Throughout your career as a graduate student, required forms act as milestones documenting your academic progress.
The forms you will submit prior to starting your research and as part of finishing the degree process are listed below.
All forms are due in the Thesis and Dissertation Office by the final submission date for student theses/dissertations. Failure to submit any of the required paperwork will affect your graduation plans.
Before Starting Your Research
No student research can begin before a Research Topic Approval Form has been approved by the Office of Graduate Education and Academic Planning. When approval is granted, notice will be sent to your IUP email account. You may not commence research until you receive this notice.
Access the Electronic RTAF
In the MyIUP portal:
- Log in to MyIUP and go to Discover.
- Search for "graduate" and click on Graduate Student Resources.
- Click on Research Topic Approval Form.
Follow the on-screen instructions. Note: This form is not compatible with Internet Explorer.
This electronic form will be routed to the student's committee members, graduate program coordinator, college dean, and the Office of Graduate Education and Academic Planning for review and approval. Therefore, it must be initiated by the student well ahead of the planned start of your research.
Changes to your thesis/dissertation committee or research topic require approval and must be submitted electronically. To make a change to an approved RTAF, please log in to MyIUP and follow the on-screen instructions.
Finishing Your Degree
In addition to submitting their theses/dissertations, graduate students are required to submit several forms to complete the graduation process.
Applying for Graduation
Master's and doctoral degree candidates must apply for graduation online in MyIUP.
All students are required to apply for graduation by the established deadlines.
Students who need to provide graduation verification to prospective employers or sponsor program administrators prior to the official graduation date can request a letter by emailing graduate-admissions@iup.edu.
Forms for Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Submission
All dissertations and theses must be submitted electronically and publishing agreements must be submitted to the Thesis and Dissertation office.
See Preparing and Submitting Electronic Theses and Dissertations for final submission instructions.
Additional Forms
The Survey of Earned Doctorates is a federal survey that is conducted by RTI International on behalf of several government agencies. All PhD candidates are asked to complete this survey and submit it to the Thesis and Dissertation Office.