Steps of the ETD Submission Process

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These are the steps of the ETD submission process, including preparation and defense.

Prepare to defend and defend

1. Read the Regulations for Thesis and Dissertation Preparation Manual and the Format/Formal Style page.
2. Write your thesis or dissertation.

When you are ready to defense...

1. Make sure to register for classes (at least 1 thesis credit hour for master’s students and 3 dissertation credit hours for doctoral students).
2. If you are planning to graduate in the same semester, submit the Application for Graduation at the Office of the Registrar.
3. Schedule your defense with your committee members.
4. Two weeks prior to your defense submit Form D --with all the appropriate signatures--and the defense announcement to the University Graduate School. Make sure to follow Graduate Studies Thesis/Dissertation Deadlines.
5. DEFEND YOUR THESIS or DISSERTATION.

When you pass your defense...

1. Have your committee sign Form E.
2. Submit Form E within 2 weeks after the defense date.
3. Pay microfilming fees at Cashier’s Office (doctoral students only).

Finalize your ETD

1. Make the changes to your thesis/dissertation as your committee requested. 
2. Have your committee sign the ETD Approval Form and the approval page of your thesis/dissertation (page ii).
3. Drop off a hard copy of your thesis/dissertation at your Academic Dean’s office and have him/her sign the ETD Approval Form and the approval page of your thesis/dissertation (page ii).

Make the PDF or DVI File

For PDF:

1. Use your word processor to print your thesis or dissertation to a Post Script file, etd.ps. Then use Adobe Distiller to convert the new file into PDF, etd.pdf. You may print to multiple chapters, especially if your ETD is very large. Name them ch1.pdf, ch2.pdf, etc.
2. Open your PDF files with Adobe Exchange and add links.

For DVI:

1. Run TeX or LaTeX to generate etd.dvi.
2. Use tar and gzip to collect etd.dvi and all figures and graphics into etd.tgz. You may elect to generate the PDF yourself.

Helpful submission hints

• Have you included your VITA? (doctoral student’s ONLY.)
• Have you checked your PDF file for missing pages, poor font translation, and other anomalies?
• Are all internal and external multimedia objects and files present when you submit?
• Have you included a Table of Contents and a list of each multimedia object type?
• Have you checked that all your pages are numbered correctly?
• Have you checked that all pages met the margins requirements? This includes tables, figures, and appendixes.

Submit your ETD

1. Find a networked machine running Netscape 2.0 or better.
2. Open the Log in page.
3. Fill in the form according to the instructions provided.
4. Select "Preview" and make certain all information is correct.
5. Select "Browse" and attach your ETD and associated multimedia files.
6. Select "Submit" to submit to the University Graduate School.
7. You will see a Web page that your ETD arrived and awaits review.

Finish with the Graduate School

§ Submit a draft of your ETD to the University Graduate School for review.

§ Made necessary corrections.

§ Deliver the signed ETD Approval Form and the approval page of your thesis/dissertation (page ii) to the University Graduate School as well as one hard copy of your thesis/dissertation.

§ Submit the final version of your ETD to Graduate Studies.

§ Work with the University Graduate School until your ETD passes review.

§ Submit the FIU University Graduate School Exit Survey.

§ Submit National Research Council Survey of Earned Doctorates (doctoral students only) to the University Graduate School.

§ Submit Bell & Howell Agreement Form to the University Graduate School (doctoral students only).

Enjoy your new life

1. You will receive email that the ETD went to the library cataloger.
2. In the future, you will find your ETD on the library server and in the online catalog.

Back to Guidelines

Submissionprocess.html Revised May 16, 2000