Graduate Studies

It is recommended that PhD students submit a copy of their dissertation to their dissertation readers approximately two weeks before the student's scheduled dissertation defense date.  Students should check with their faculty research advisor about the latest date to submit the dissertation to readers. Students should work with their advisor and committee to select the date of their PhD defense.

• March 2025:  Commencement Regalia – Order online to be delivered to R.J. Julia Bookstore.
  
  
• Before April 4:  Students work with their advisor and committee to select the date of their PhD defense.
  
  
• By April 4, 2025, 4 pm: Students submit their Graduate Exit Forms via WesPortal/Academics/Graduate Exit Forms.  Students are responsible for the first tab “Commencement Information” and the last tab “Defense & Dissertation.” Faculty will be prompted to approve student forms.
   
• In April: Students schedule their exit appointment to meet with Graduate Student Services.  The exit appointment is the final step of graduation requirements. Exit appointments are available April 7 - May 8, 2025.  Link to schedule appointment.
  
  
• By May 8, 2025, 4pm: Deadline for PhD students to upload final dissertation, submit the Survey of Earned Doctorate, and complete their exit appointment.
  
  
• May 25, 2025: Commencement
  

  
  Recommendation to Students: Use a calendar to plan your exit

  1. Start with knowing your dissertation defense date. 

  2. Count back two weeks from the dissertation defense date to know when to send your document to your committee of readers.

  3. Think about the time you will need to make final edits to your document and count forward from your dissertation defense date to schedule your exit appointment.  Exit appointments must be after you upload the final document and before the end of the PhD exit period. 
  
  

Students who complete the degree requirements after Commencement of the current year will receive the degree the following May.

Contact the Office of Graduate Student Services  at graduateoffice@wesleyan.edu to schedule your exit appointment.  You must have completed your defense, made edits to your dissertation, and uploaded the final document to WesScholar before the exit appointment.  Plan accordingly. Submit the required paper forms prior to the exit appointment. 

Exit appointments are scheduled for 30 minutes and will take place using remote access technology.

Prior to the exit appointment, submit electronic exit forms, and upload the final dissertation. 

PhD students who exit on or before May 9, 2025 will receive the degree in May 2025.  PhD students who exit after Commencement of the current year will receive the degree in May 2026.

PhD Exit Appointments for students exiting between April 7 – May 9:

You must have completed your defense, made edits to your thesis, and uploaded the final dissertation to WesScholar before the exit appointment.  Plan accordingly. 

PhD Appointments for students who exit before April 7 or after the current year Commencement: 

Contact the Office of Graduate Student Services  at graduateoffice@wesleyan.edu to schedule your exit appointment.  You must have completed your defense, made edits to your dissertation, and uploaded the final document to WesScholar before the exit appointment.  Plan accordingly.  Submit the required signed forms prior to the exit appointment.

Graduate exit forms (Mandatory): Complete in your WesPortal/Academics/Graduate Exit forms.

Survey of Earned Doctorate (Mandatory): Complete before your scheduled Exit appointment.
https://sed-ncses.org

Proquest/UMI (Recommended/Optional): Must submit within 24 hours of your scheduled Exit appointment.
http://www.etdadmin.com/cgi-bin/main/home

SUBMIT a PDF version of your dissertation via your Wesleyan Student Portal/Academics/Graduate Thesis/Dissertation Submission. Complete before the scheduled Exit appointment.

WesScholar

WesScholar is Wesleyan University’s online institutional repository. Graduate students are required to submit a PDF version of their dissertation to WesScholar. Information about the work (metadata) will be entered and the PDFs will be available for download. Students who do not wish their work to be available by download may place an embargo on their work for a period of time of up to five years.  Graduate students or faculty advisors may request an embargo at the time of dissertation submission or any time up to five years after submission.  The embargo period may not exceed five years from the time of submission.

Policies on graduate student work in WesScholar

1. Metadata for each work (the catalog information—author name, title, year, etc.) will be added to WesScholar.
2. The full text of the student work will be added to WesScholar in the form of a PDF.
3. A student may request that his or her work be embargoed for up to five years. This may be because of a pending publication or patent issue. WesScholar administrators will notify faculty advisors when a student requests an embargo after submitting the dissertation.  After the embargo period ends, the dissertation will be made available in WesScholar.
4. Faculty members will have the opportunity to place an embargo on an advisee’s work if the content of the work compromises laboratory or other research to be published by the faculty member. This embargo will supersede a student-imposed embargo if it is greater than the student-imposed restrictions.  WesScholar administrators will contact faculty advisors prior to adding student work to WesScholar to remind faculty of the option to embargo.

PhD students have the option to upload their dissertation to the ProQuest Dissertation & Theses Global (DT Global). This database simplifies searching for dissertations and theses via a single access point to explore an extensive collection of 3.8 million graduate works, with 1.7 million (and growing) in full text. Designated as an official offsite repository for the U.S. Library of Congress, DT Global offers comprehensive historic and ongoing coverage for North American works and significant and growing international coverage from a multiyear program of expanding partnerships with international universities and national associations.

To sign up for an account at ProQuest and upload your work (also help and resources): http://www.etdadmin.com/cgi-bin/main/home  Dissertations that are submitted to ProQuest may be made available immediately or placed under embargoes for an extended period of time.

Wesleyan PhD dissertations must be uploaded within 24 hours of the exit appointment.  Students must upload the same PDF that was uploaded to WesScholar. IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO REVISE OR REPLACE THE PDF AFTER IT IS SUBMITTED.  Students may request to have their dissertation withdrawn and removed from the ProQuest database at any point.

For more information:

  ProQuest Dissertation & Theses Global (DT Global) FAQ: http://www.proquest.com/products-services/dissertations/ProQuest-Dissertations-FAQ.html

PhD Candidates  must complete the Survey of Earned Doctorate (SED).  The survey will take approximately 15 minutes or less to complete. 

Link to complete the Survey of Earned Doctorate: https://sed-ncses.org

Information about the SED survey listed below is provided by SED. Data is used only for statistical purposes.

Privacy Policy

The information provided on the Survey of Earned Doctorate (SED) questionnaire remains confidential and is safeguarded in accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974 and the NSF Act of 1950, as amended.  The survey data is reported only in aggregate form or in a manner that does not identify information about an individual.

The federal agencies and the data collection contractor for the SED take the strongest measures to safeguard respondent confidentiality. All staff members sign binding confidentiality pledges. All processing facilities and computer systems are carefully designed and continuously tested to safeguard the information provided by institutions and respondents.

Security Safeguard Procedures

Only two groups can receive individual-identifiable data from the SED project:

• The SED Federal Sponsors (for program evaluation)
• Graduate School Deans (for their own graduates only)
  
  

Confidentiality safeguards prohibit the use of data for commercial purposes or for investigating an individual respondent or institution. Any independent researcher or contractor for the federal agencies that performs analyses of the data must sign legally binding organizational and individual Data Use Agreements certifying that the institution will only use their data for statistical purposes and that security of the data will be protected. Penalties for breaching these agreements range upward from $250,000, and audits of licensed users are regularly conducted by the federal government. Furthermore, NCSES staff reviews all analyses from researchers to ensure that there is no risk of an identity breach. If an analysis is found to have an identity disclosure risk, NCSES staff work with the researcher to remove the risk.

Similarly, graduate deans must sign an agreement that they will only use the data for statistical purposes, and will safeguard the confidentiality of the respondents.

SED staff not only secure the survey materials and data, but also removes identifying information from any data and analyses provided to outside sources. Only data aggregated to levels that will not allow the identification of individual respondents are released for publication.

Social Security Numbers

In response to privacy concerns, only the last four digits of your Social Security number are requested.  Additionally, we would like to reassure you that even your partial SSN information is kept strictly confidential and is not used outside the project under ANY conditions. The purpose of the partial Social Security number is for survey quality control by the contractor (NORC) and for statisical purposes in program evaluation by the SED federal sponsors.

We ask for your partial SSN for two specific purposes:

1. The major federal agencies that sponsor the SED use the partial SSN to match the SED information on federal funding support for graduate education. Congress and the federal agencies require information on the effectiveness of federal programs be used in the funding process for these programs. Federal programs conduct program evaluations by using SED to determine, for example, the percent of participants in a program such as the NSF Graduate Fellowhip Program who have completed doctorate. The U.S. Department of Education has used the SED to evaluate several graduate student aid programs, and the National Institutes of Health has used it to evaluate its graduate trainee programs.
2. We use the partial SSN to make sure that we do not have duplicate records for any doctorate recipient in the histroical data file. Each year we receive several questionnaires from individuals who had completed the SED in an earlier year, when they had expected to graduate. The partial SSN is the best way to locate such matching records across survey rounds, as well as to cross-reference individuals completing a second research doctorate.
   
   

Legallly, your Social Security number is solicited under the National Science Foundation Act of 1950, as amended, provision of it is voluntary.

Abstract - An Abstract is required and may be included as the last of the preliminary pages.  Total words should not exceed 350.

Margins - The minimum acceptable margins for all pages of the thesis are 1.5 inch on the left and 1.25 inch on the top, bottom, and right.

Font and Point Size - Recommended fonts include Arial, New Times Roman, and Helvetica with a point size of either 11 or 12.

Spacing - The text of the dissertation should be double spaced.  Long quotations, footnotes, appendices, and references may be single spaced.

Photographs and Graphics - Photographs and graphics in the dissertation should be printed or photocopied directly on the paper as high quality images. Scanned images must print clearly.  If color is used, only color laser or color photocopy printing is acceptable.

Use of Material Copyrighted by Others - Any material included that goes beyond "fair use" requires written permission from the copyright owner.  It may be useful to include the permission(s) in the thesis as an appendix.

Pagination - Preliminary pages (i.e., acknowledgments, table of contents, abstract, etc.) are to be numbered consecutively using lower case Roman numerals. All pages of the text, appendices (if any), and references must be numbered consecutively using Arabic numerals.

Landscape pages - The top of a landscape pages should be at the left margin (1.5), the bottom at the right margin (1.25).  The page number is to be in the same relative position as on the portrait pages.

Sequence of the Main Components of the Dissertation - The appropriate order of the major sections of the thesis are as follows: title page, acknowledgements, table of contents, text, appendices (if any), and references.  The order of the appendices and the references may be reversed if the appendices are lengthy.

Footnote, Endnotes, and References - The format that is accepted in your discipline or that which is prescribed by your advisory committee should be followed.

Photocopied Journal Articles in the Dissertation - When appropriate, photocopied articles already published in journals may be included in a thesis. Photocopying must conform to the margins noted above.  An original letter from each journal granting permission for the inclusion of the photocopied article in the thesis must be submitted to the Office of Graduate Student Services.  In requesting a letter of permission, it is important to tell the journal that the thesis will become part of the permanent collection of Wesleyan University Libraries.  The journal usually will require that the journal be the first publisher of the article.

Bound Copy of Dissertation – One copy of the dissertation will be printed, bound, and added to the University Archives collection. The student’s department is responsible for the cost of binding the archival copy of the dissertation.

Additional bound copies of the dissertation for the department may be ordered by the department; the department is responsible for the printing/binding cost of department copies.  The bound copy for the department will be delivered to the department within six months of Commencement.

Students wishing to purchase bound copies of their dissertation will go directly to HFGroup (Acme Binding) http://acmebinding.com/ to order their copies through the web-site.  Students are responsible for the cost of printing and binding personal copies.

In the composition of the dissertation, it is expected that the student will observe the procedure current in her/his major field of study for the publication of the results of research.  Students should keep in mind the importance of precision and clarity in the use of English, as well as actions and conventional methods of documentation. The dissertation should contain enough general material to make it understandable to graduate students and faculty members in allied fields.  It is recommended that you use your full legal name on the abstract and on the title page. Please ensure that your name appears exactly the same way in all places.  Individual graduate departments may have additional requirements regarding the format of the dissertation.

 _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

FROM ADMISSION TO EXITING:

THE GRADUATE STUDENT EXPERIENCE

AT WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY

By

John J. Smith

Faculty Advisor:  Dr. Susan Meyer Jones

A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Wesleyan University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Middletown, Connecticut                                                                                                        May 2021
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The University Archives at Olin Library no longer collects print copies of theses. 

Department copies or personal copies may be ordered through Thesis on Demand.

The Student Account must be paid in full in order to receive a diploma or academic transcript.  Student Accounts that do not have a zero balance will receive a financial hold. 

TO DO: 

Regularly check your Student Account.

Return library materials to the library two weeks prior to Commencement.  Library fines will be charged to the Student Account.

Make full payment to the Student Account office prior to the Thursday before Commencement in order to receive the diploma on Commencement week-end. 

Make arrangements to return all keys that belong to the University (housing, labs, etc) before leaving campus following Commencement. 

The preferred method: Purchasing (via credit card) a cap and gown from the following Oak Hall website.   https://wesleyan.shopoakhalli.com/purchasewizard/Welcome   

Pre-ordering your cap and gown allows you to avoid long lines at the bookstore. 

Students will either choose a Master’s Package, or Doctorate’s Package. The website will guide you to the correct gown size by asking height and weight questions.  

Masters and PHD candidates will either elect to pick up their package at the Wesleyan R J Julia Bookstore or have it sent to their home address.

• Masters and PHD candidates who wish to have their regalia shipped to the Wesleyan RJ Julia Bookstore must order online by Wednesday, March 27th. Masters and PHD regalia will be available for pick up at the Wesleyan RJ  Julia   Bookstore starting Monday, May 13^th.                                                                                                                                                                                                                     
• Masters and PHD candidates who wish to have their caps and gowns shipped to a home address will have until Friday, April 26th, to order online.  

Please note: There is a $15.95 shipping and handling fee for domestic ship to residence orders.  

Description:  PhD Regalia includes a black gown with velvet stripes, a black tam, a blue shawl hood, and a gold tassel.  NOTE:  PhD hoods will not be delivered to you.  You will receive the PhD hood at the Commencement ceremony. 

NOTE: Students that have ordered their regalia on the Oak Hall website and wish to make changes to their order or cancel it altogether, must contact Oak Hall directly at 800-456-7623

Purchasing a cap and gown at the Wesleyan RJ Julia Bookstore. 

If you miss the Oak Hall pre-order deadline, you may purchase regalia at the bookstore in person starting May 13^th.

Wesleyan RJ Julia Bookstore: 413 Main Street, Middletown, CT 06457.  (860) 685-3939. 

Hours: Sunday through Wednesday 10 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.; Thursday through Saturday 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.

Commencement Date:  May 25th, 2025

Commencement Announcements/Invitations