All students wishing to register for an Independent Study must first fill out an Independent Study Learning Contract.  The form will then be sent to the instructor for approval. Once the instructor approves the form, the registration authorizer will complete an override and send you the unique CRN. If you have any questions, contact the registration authorizer.

For students completing a thesis or dissertation, registration in thesis hours (599) is required.  Registering for thesis credit requires the approval of your advisor or committee chairperson.  You will need to email your advisor or committee chairperson to ask for approval to register for thesis credit.  Once you have the approval, you will need to forward that email to the registration authorizer who will then complete an override and send you the instructor’s CRN.  

Exceptions to College of Education policies may be requested by completing the College of Education Exemption Request form. The request will be forwarded to the student's advisor for a decision, along with any other relevant parties. A final decision will be made by the Associate Dean for Academic Programs in the College of Education.

Actions such as fulfilling the foundations requirements using a four-hour course instead of two two-hour courses or using a similar graduate level course that has been completed elsewhere can be requested through this process. Copies of official transcripts from the institution where the graduate credit was earned must be submitted with the form.

To request exceptions to the Graduate College policies or deadlines, the student should complete the Graduate Student Petition. Depending on the nature of the request, petitions for exceptions require different information or supporting documentation. Students must: (1) clearly identify the issue, (2) provide justification as to why the student should be allowed an exception to this policy or deadline. 

Petitions require a minimum of two signatures (advisor and department chair/head or authorized signatory) but may require additional signatures. Upon receipt of the department chair/head's signature (or authorized signatory), the departmental contact in the Graduate Student Services Office will forward it to the Graduate College for final decision. Students will be notified of the Graduate College’s decision via email. 

Students who wish to change advisors must complete the Request for Change of Advisor. Students should obtain the signature of their new advisor and submit the form to their departmental contact in the Graduate Student Services Office.

Each spring, all enrolled graduate students in the College of Education are required to complete an Annual Evaluation of Academic Progress.  This is used to determine that students are making adequate progress in their program.  Information will be sent out via email to your Illinois.edu account.  Failure to complete the evaluation by the deadline will result in a hold on your account which will prevent future registration and possibly cause conflicts with degree conferral.  

Qualifying Examinations (quals) are written comprehensive examinations administered to doctoral students near the completion of their coursework.  Prior to completing quals PhD students should have satisfied the Early Research Project requirement and EdD students should have completed the Cognate requirement.  

The specifics – committee, length, time frame, format - of the exam vary between departments, divisions, and students.  The student and advisor will discuss these specifics.  A committee consists of at least 3 faculty members.  It is not required that all faculty members are in the College of Education, nor is it required that the committee be the same for each qual.

Students are responsible for completing the Qualifying Examination Information Form at least one week prior to the start of quals.   

Students should submit their completed qualifying exam to the appropriate Graduate Student Services Office contact by the deadline.

Faculty are responsible for completing their evaluation within the two week timeframe after a student submits the exam.  

A student must pass all quals before taking their preliminary examination.  

The preliminary oral examination (prelim) follows successful completion of all required coursework, the early research requirement (PhD), the cognate requirement (EdD) the qualifying examinations, the research area requirement (PhD), and human subjects approval. In addition, all incomplete (I) or not recorded (NR) grades must be changed to final letter grades prior to the prelim.

The student and advisor should consult the College of Education Graduate Student Handbook for requirements concerning the development of the prelim committee.  

The Graduate College’s Thesis Office is a very helpful resource.  The College of Education follows their guide for format of dissertations and does not have additional College requirements.  

Students must submit the Request for Appointment of Committee Form, including IRB approval, at least 4 weeks prior to the prelim.  A prelim will not be held unless the Request for Appointment of Committee form is submitted and approved by the chairperson, department, and Graduate College.  Failure to complete this form could result in an exam delay or cancellation.  

The Graduate Student Services Office will handle scheduling the room for the exam and notify the student and chairperson via email.  

Students must be registered when they take the prelim.  The prelim must take place on campus and all chairs and co-chairs of the committee must be present, along with one additional voting member.

The final oral examination (final) follows successful completion of all required coursework, the early research requirement (PhD), the cognate requirement (EdD) the qualifying examinations, the research area requirement (PhD), human subjects approval, and the preliminary examination.  

The student and advisor should consult the College of Education Graduate Student Handbook for requirements concerning the development of the final committee.

The Graduate College’s Thesis Office is a very helpful resource.  The College of Education follows their guide for format of dissertations and does not have additional College requirements.  

Students must submit the Request for Appointment of Committee Form, including IRB approval, at least 4 weeks prior to the final.  A final will not be held unless the Request for Appointment of Committee form is submitted and approved by the chairperson, department, and Graduate College.  Failure to complete this form could result in an exam delay or cancellation.  

The Graduate Student Services Office will handle scheduling the room for the exam and notify the student and chairperson via email.  

Students must be registered when they take the final.  The final must take place on campus and all chairs and co-chairs of the committee must be present, along with one additional voting member.  Finals are open to the public and will be publicized with a weekly email to all College of Education faculty, staff and students.