Before starting your graduate research, take some time to familiarize yourself with the forms and guidelines that directly impact all graduate students.
Frequently Asked Questions
Unsure of how to start? Visit the frequently asked questions for answers to the most common questions students have pertaining to research and the thesis/dissertation process.
Required Forms
No student research can begin before a Research Topic Approval Form (RTAF) has been approved by the Graduate Studies office.
Changes to your committee or research topic require one of the change forms listed above. Minor changes, including thesis/dissertation title changes, do not require the submission of a new RTAF.
Protection of Human Participants and Animals
Plan ahead and assume your research will require approval from the Institutional Review Board or the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee. Do not assume that if you are not conducting research directly involving live human participants or vertebrate animals that you will not need approval.
Copyright and Plagiarism Information
Issues of copyright infringement and/or plagiarism are serious matters. Review the information provided on U.S. Copyright Law and the university’s policy regarding plagiarism before you start to write.
More detailed information on committee selection and the research topic approval process can be found in the Thesis-Dissertation Manual.
