All college-wide graduate forms can now be accessed at:
http://education.msu.edu/academics/graduate-forms.asp
Travel Pre-authorization (XLS)
The Department makes every effort possible to support student travel to conferences. Levels of support are determined annually, depending on the budget. In the 2010-2011 academic year, we supported students with the following: 1) up to $500 for travel to a conference where the student presented a paper on which they were author or co-author; 2) up to $500 for travel to a second conference where the student presented a paper on which they were author or co-author; 3) funding of up to $300 for travel to each of two conferences during a student’s program (the student is not required to present at these conferences). The purpose of this latter funding is to help introduce students to scholarly communities/conferences to which they wish to actively belong and/or at which they wish to present papers in the future. To qualify for any travel reimbursement, all students (except first-year students) must have a current completed Annual Review form on file with the CITE program secretary.
To receive travel reimbursement, students must fill out a Travel Pre-authorization Form (section A, section D, and the Description: conference name, location, and whether they are presenting or attending). This pre-authorization must be approved by the department prior to travel. The department will notify students that their travel requests have been authorized at least 2 weeks before the travel date. If a student does not receive this notification, they should contact the program secretary. The travel pre-authorization authorizes reimbursement and indicates to the university that the travel is university-related and, thus, extends your insurance during travel. This form should be e-mailed as an Excel document to the Doctoral Program Secretary at least 30 days prior to any travel. Each travel destination should be on a separate travel pre-authorization form. Please save all receipts for airfare, hotel, conference registration, parking, taxi/shuttle, etc. Save all receipts that may be pertinent to your travel. You must submit your receipts attached to the travel reimbursement worksheet to the Doctoral Program Secretary within 30 days following your return from the conference. A delay in submitting receipts (over 30 days) requires a written explanation of why the receipts are late and could result in not receiving reimbursement so please make sure you submit your receipts promptly with your attached Travel Reimbursement Worksheet. Do not include credit card statements with your receipts unless we request them.
Please Note: Driving VS Flying: If you think that you would prefer to drive to a conference rather than fly, please complete the Airfare Equivalency Worksheet prior to your travel. To acquire an airfare estimate, contact Passageways at 517-353-9898 or 800-684-7384. Submit this equivalency sheet with your receipts when requesting your reimbursement. Keep in mind that if flying is cheaper than driving, MSU will only authorize reimbursement in the amount estimated for flying (even if driving was more expensive). Contact the program secretary if you have any questions about driving versus flying.
Please Note: Shared Expenses: If you plan to share expenses (e.g., a hotel room) with a colleague, please get separate receipts. If you cannot get separate receipts for a shared expense, all people seeking reimbursement from a shared receipt must submit their reimbursement requests at the same time. These reimbursements will all need to be attached together for processing. If one person delays in submitting their reimbursement request, all the people using the shared receipt will have to wait to receive their reimbursements until all the requests and required documentation are received.
Please Note: Use Your Own Credit Card: The University will only reimburse receipts that you paid. Example: If you submit an airfare receipt that your friend arranged and paid for with his/her credit card and this credit card appears on the airfare receipt with the friend’s name as the purchaser, you cannot be reimbursed for the purchase.
Please Note: Examples Of Perfect Receipts: This is an example of a perfect receipt for airfare. Most often you receive this receipt through e-mail as a confirmation of your purchase. It includes your itinerary information (locations, dates, and times), your name, the total dollar amount for your flight/s, and some form of confirmation that you have paid for the flight. Some of these receipts show a zero balance due and others show that they were paid by credit card and often include the last 4 digits of the credit card used. The perfect hotel receipt shows the amount due, that you paid the bill, and that the balance is then zero. Most conference registration fee receipts are sent via e-mail and include the registrant name, the amount for registration, and confirmation that the fee was paid. Often included with this confirmation is conference agenda information. If you will be seeking reimbursement for meals, you will need this agenda to prove that meals were (or were not) included with your conference registration fee. Most often, receipts for meals are not needed because the University reimburses a daily per diem amount for meals. As a general rule, save all receipts and confirmations that may be needed to prove the expense you incurred. Please contact the Doctoral Program Secretary if you have any questions about what an appropriate receipt should contain or when it is needed.
Please Note: Use Of A University Vehicle: The University Transportation Services department has vehicles that students can reserve for university business. To reserve a university vehicle for travel to a conference, you will need to complete the Non-Employee Student Driver Authorization form located at http://www.ctlr.msu.edu/Download.aspx?id=RiskManagement. Submit this form to the program secretary at least 60 days prior to the conference travel along with the travel pre-authorization form. At least 30 days prior to the travel, contact the program secretary to ensure that the authorizations have been approved and to arrange for vehicle pickup.
Please Note: Non-Reimbursement University Travel: When students travel for research or other activities related to MSU but are not being reimbursed for the travel, students are still required to file the pre-authorization travel form. This travel form insures the student during travel.The university will only reimburse receipts that you paid. Example: If you submit an airfare receipt that your friend arranged and paid for with his/her credit card and this credit card shows on the airfare receipt with the friend’s name as the purchaser, you cannot be reimbursed for the purchase.
Guidance Committee Forms
The guidance committee serves the student, the program, the college, and the university in setting standards and promoting excellence in scholarship. Each member of the committee will participate actively and fully throughout a student’s program, from course planning through the defense of the dissertation. This committee should be formed early in the student’s second year of study.
The MSU Faculty Handbook (p. 124) defines a guidance committee as follows: “The guidance committee will consist of at least four Michigan State University regular faculty, at least three of whom, including the committee chairperson, possess an earned doctoral degree.” Regular faculty are those in the tenure stream. The four regular faculty members need not all be from the Department of Teacher Education; indeed, faculty from other departments and colleges can provide enormous benefits to our students. If a student wants to include on the committee an MSU faculty member who is not in the tenure stream or a faculty member from another university, the committee may be augmented by additional faculty.
The guidance committee members should possess interests compatible with the student’s, and should have strengths to contribute to the student’s academic, professional, and scholarly growth. Changes in advisor or committee membership may be initiated by the student, with the concurrence of the committee members. Similarly, faculty members may be added to, or may resign from guidance committees with the acknowledgment of other committee members. The Establish Guidance Committee Membership form should be filled out by the second year of study, and filed with the program secretary.
Often the makeup of the student’s committee will change at the point of transition into dissertation work. Dissertations ordinarily benefit from specific faculty strengths (in certain methodological or substantive areas, for example), and changes in the committee are logical after the program of study and comprehensive examinations are completed. Changes to committee membership at this time are recorded using the Changes in Guidance Committee Membership form and filed with the program secretary.
Program Plan
The Program Plan students submit for committee approval and departmental signoff includes the following components:- The Report of the Guidance Committee Form (DOC)
- The list of courses should be organized under the headings: pro seminars, research courses, selectives and electives. (See example here) Please remember that two pieces of information need to be attached to this form:
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- A written explanation of how the student’s program and/or professional experiences in the program fulfill the College’s Liberal Education Requirements.
- An explanation of how your program plan meets both depth and breadth requirements.
- Changes in Program Plan (DOC)
Documents changes applied to Ph.D. student's program.
Project Agreement Form (DOC)
A Project Agreement Form is used to initiate an Independent Study. Please make sure you fill out the student's part of the form, then have the faculty member guiding the independent study sign the form. In the event your advisor is not the faculty member guiding the study, make sure your advisor signs the form as well. When the form is complete, it should be submitted to the program secretary.
Practicum Forms
Students must enroll in the practicum (TE995) for one to six credits. This is accomplished by completing a Practicum Agreement Form with the faculty member who is serving as Practicum Director and by submitting that form to Doctoral Program Secretary. Two forms are to be used in the process of the practicum. The first form (The Practicum Agreement Form) is only for enrolling in the practicum. This form needs to be used to create your particular section of TE995 on the university course list, much like an independent study. The second form(The Practicum Committee and Defense Form PDF DOC) is to be used for the remainder of the practicum. That is, the steps comprising the practicum (constructing a committee, approval of one’s proposal, the oral defense, and approval of the final paper) should all be documented on this form. The same form is used throughout the practicum and should be submitted to the program secretary upon completion of the practicum.
Comprehensive Examination
For more information, please see the Comprehensive Exams page.
Application Forms
Dissertation Forms
- Notice of Doctoral Dissertation Oral Examination
Prepared when student is ready to defend the dissertation, ideally one to two weeks before the defense date. Student fills out form on the college website: Submit an Event to the Calendar; under Event Title, put: "Oral Dissertation Defense: [Dissertation Title]." Under Event Cost enter $0, in the Event Summary and Event Description boxes, copy the event title and paste it into these fields. Check "NO" when asked if you want event posted on the University-wide calendar. - Dissertation Proposal Approval (DOC)
Filed upon approval of Ph.D. student's dissertation proposal. - Dissertation Director Approval (DOC)
Filed upon selecting a chairperson appropriate for a dissertation committee. - Record of Dissertation and Oral Examination (DOC)
Form used to document pass/fail of oral defense.
Checklist
(PDF)
Checklist that lays out the typical schedule for working through the program.
Annual Evaluation
(Online)
Evaluation tool that helps Ph.D. students document their progress in the program and determine future goals with their advisor.
Application for Graduate Assistantships (PDF)
Application for the Teacher Preparation Graduate Assistantship.
EdS Program Plan (DOC)
Program Plan completed in beginning of program. Extension Request (DOC)
Request for extension of time to complete degree requirements.General Forms
- College of Education Graduate Application Conviction Disclosure Form: Student Initiated [DOC]
Student downloads, completes electronically, and prints before securing signatures; no handwritten forms. - Application for Change of Program and Status: Student Initiated [DOC]
If student has previously been admitted to an MSU graduate degree program, he/she must file this form to apply to new degree program/change levels. This is done in place of a new Graduate Application. Student downloads, completes electronically, and prints before securing signatures; no handwritten forms: handwritten signatures, in blue ink only. - Application for Graduation: Student Initiated
Students must apply for graduation. - Application for Readmission: Student Initiated
Students must apply for readmission if not enrolled for one full year.
